The Indian Express             28.11.2013 

PMC to carry out safety audit of Nagar Road BRTS route

Increasing accidents on BRTS routes has forced the Pune Municipal Corporation to go for a safety audit of the 16-km route on Nagar Road where the service would be launched soon. "The accidents on existing BRTS route from Katraj to Hadapsar via Swargate have led to increase in opposition to its BRTS implementation on other roads. This time the civic body does not want to face any criticism for poor implementation of BRTS," said Vishal Tambe, chairman of the standing committee.

He said an expert from IIT Powai would be appointed for the safety audit. "All safety concerns on the BRTS route would be studied by the expert to ensure there are no accidents on the route. The civic administration have completed most of the infrastructure development work on the route but will undertake additional work as per the suggestion of expert for safety purpose," Tambe said.

The safety audit is likely to be ready in a month and administration would carry out the neccessary changes in some days, he said adding that the BRTS would be operational only after all the work is complete.

The PMC standing committee on Wednesday approved the installation of automatic doors at the state-of-the-art 22 bus stops on the BRTS route. "The automatic doors at the bus stop would ensure that commuters will get into vehicle only after the bus halts at stops," he said. After recent accidental deaths due to bikers entering into BRTS route, Mayor Chanchala Kodre had visited BRTS route and criticised the civic administration for the poor implementation of BRTS.

The Times of India          09.11.2013

Water audit soon to weed out illegal connections

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) will implement a pilot project, beginning with the S R Nagar Division-VI, to audit water which goes unaccounted for.

The authorities claim that though 340 million gallons of water per day (MGD) is supplied to 7.80 lakh customers in the city, they are able to account for only 170 MGD.

To know accurate quantity of water up to section and docket level, the HMWS&SB has chosen S R Nagar Division-VI areas like Somajiguda, Punjagutta, MS Maktha, BS Maktha, Yellareddyguda,

BK Guda, Ameerpet, Balkampet, Chintal Basthi, Vengal Rao Nagar, Guttala Begumpet, Fathenagar, Venkatagiri and Yousufguda among others to carry out audit.

"The SR Nagar division has 78,000 connections (as per CANs, consumer account numbers), both domestic and commercial. Of them, the Water Board issues bills to 43,000 CANs only. The Water Board is supplying 35 million gallons of water per day (original allocation is 41 MGD) once in three days/alternative days, but it is not able to account for around 20 mgd," HMWS&SB general manager D Ramchandra Reddy told TOI.

The process of auditing would start from slum areas in the division. According to records, 54 notified slums are in the Division-VI. Also, of 78,000 water connections/CANs, 29,000 are in the slums. The Water Board supplies on an average between 15 KL and 25 KL. "As per our findings, most of the properties in slum areas are three-storied buildings where hostels are being operated. The Water Board collects has been issuing water bills to slum areas at the rate of Rs 7 per KL (0-15 KL) and Rs 10 (16-30KL) under domestic category from slum residents. As a result, the Water Board is losing revenue," he said.

"As part of the water audit, we will fix mobile water meters at source and find out the exact supplies to M S Maktha (a slum) in the division. We will then tally it with the registered CANs. In case, the quantity does not tally, then we will take up a survey to weed out illegal connections. The process will start in a day or two and would be completed in 45 days in the entire division," the official added.