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Thirst buster gift for New Year

Thursday, 26 December 2013 06:41 administrator
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Deccan Herald              26.12.2013

Thirst buster gift for New Year

The BWSSB is planning to construct three GLRs, each of 11.5 million litres, in the layout and draw water from the GLR near Beggars' Colony. DH PHOTO

 Over 2,000 residents of Sir M Vivesvaraya Layout at Ullal ward in Kengeri are likely to receive Cauvery water as the New Year gift. Having been denied the facility ever since the BDA formed the layout in 2003, the residents have been buying water from tankers.

Since Kengeri was part of the old City Municipal Council, there were no existing water lines in the region. The BWSSB planned to draw a water line from the ground-level reservoir (GLR) near Beggars’ Colony and supply Cauvery water to Visvesvaraya Layout. 

However, the board, which had almost completed the work on feeder line, had to face a legal hurdle as a corporator refused to part with his land acquired by the BDA to lay the pipelines.

A BWSSB official said that they had to lay 150-metre lines on the land that belonged to the corporator. The elected representative dragged the BDA to court and sought better compensation. The verdict favoured the BDA. Last week, work on laying the feeder lines was completed under police protection.

The official said that the BWSSB is now planning to construct three GLRs, each of 11.5 million litres, in the layout and will draw water from the GLR near the Beggars’ Colony. 

On a temporary basis, an interlink loop has been laid to draw water. Once the construction of the GLR is completed, this line will be disconnected. If water supply testing is completed, Cauvery water must reach the residents by January 2014, the official said.

D S Gowda, president of Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout Site Allottees’ and Residents’ Association, said: “Although the BDA allotted the sites in 2003, there were absolutely no facilities available in the layout. The first person who constructed a house here used solar lighting, until power supply was provided in 2008. 

It was only in 2009 that the BWSSB started laying the pipeline network in the layout.As per Section 30 and 31 of the Bangalore Development Act, 1976, the BDA should not sell or dispose of sites that do not have basic amenities. 

Undertaking

However, at Sir M V Layout, the BDA asked the allottees to give an undertaking in the form of a ‘bond’ to get their plan sanctioned, that they will not demand water or sewage facilities.

 Since the allottees were in a hurry to construct houses, they signed the bond. However, a BDA official claimed that basic amenities to the layout were delayed due to legal hurdles.

In the absence of sewage lines, residents have been discharging waste water into the nearby ‘raja kaluve’ or into the soak pits. Due to this indiscriminate discharge, the groundwater has been contaminated, denying residents the option to use borewells.

 

New civic hospitals by February: Mayor

Tuesday, 24 December 2013 11:58 administrator
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The Times of India           24.12.2013

New civic hospitals by February: Mayor

VASHI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation is facing flak from corporators and citizens for delay in the construction of the three 100-bed civic hospitals at Nerul, Belapur and Airoli. The civic body had announced in 2010 that it would be setting up three hospitals in the satellite city and complete the work within 24 months. But despite being delayed by a year, the work on these buildings is still not complete.

When asked about the delay, mayor Sagar Naik said, "All the three hospitals will be operational by February. The medical equipment has to be installed and we have to recruit the medical staff, both of which will be done soon."

But corporators are still not convinced. Vaibhav Gaikwad, NCP corporator from Vashi, added, "Civic body should make efforts to expedite the pending work and start these hospitals at earliest possible." Another corporator said that when it comes to issues related to citizens' health, the civic body should adhere to the timeframe it had allotted for completing the work. "The hospitals were supposed to be operational by early 2013 but the civic body still cannot tell us the date by which these hospitals would be operational," added the corporator.

The blame game is on — the public health engineering department said that the health department would know the exact time the hospitals would take to be operational. Surendra Patil, additional city engineer said, "The buildings are in final stage of completion. The medical equipment is still being installed. You should ask health department about this. Our role is limited to construction."

But the health department blamed the engineering department for the delay in handing over the building. Ramesh Nikam, chief health officer, NMMC, said, "The building was to be handed over to us in December. But we still haven't got possession. After getting possession, we will need at least three months for completing internal fittings and installing medical equipment. Therefore, it is difficult to tell the exact time required."

The passing the buck of the civic officials has not gone well with the local citizens. "The delay shows how important citizens are for the civic body," said Gopal Sharma, a Navi Mumbai resident.

 

Civic body to start PG institute for medical students

Monday, 23 December 2013 00:00 administrator
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The Times of India           23.12.2013

Civic body to start PG institute for medical students

NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to start a post-graduate (PG) institute for medical students in association with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) from next year.

A proposal in this regard will be presented at the next general body meeting of the civic body. Discussions about starting post-graduate classes were going on for the last two years between the NMC and MUHS, but expenditure was the bone of contention. While the NMC wanted the expenses to be divided equally, MUHS had said they would be providing only academic support.

Now, it has been decided that the NMC will bear the entire cost of the project.

Speaking to TOI, an NMC official said, "We have decided to commence post-graduate institute for medical students in the city in association with MUHS on the lines of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The project is estimated to cost Rs 10 crore and the NMC will bear the entire expenditure. We are expanding Bytco hospital, where the courses will be conducted."

"We will have eight post-graduate courses for medical students - surgery, medicine, gynaecology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, ophthalmology, anaesthesia and ENT. The total capacity of the institute will be 24 seats for the three-year courses. Each course will have three students. The proposal in this regard is to be tabled at the next general body meeting of the NMC for approval," the official said.

The proposal had been pending for the past two years as the MUHS was not willing to spend and had asked the NMC to do the same. The NMC had told MUHS to look after the expenses while it would provide the infrastructure.

The PCMC has also tied up with MUHS for its post-graduate institute. The municipal corporation is bearing the complete expenses of the institute.

 
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