Urban Infrastructure

JNNURM approves project reports of Rs 95 crore for water network in Surat

Monday, 17 February 2014 07:48 administrator

The Times of India 17.02.2014

JNNURM approves project reports of Rs 95 crore for water network in Surat

SURAT: In what could be considered as their last meeting before the present term of central government comes to an end Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable mission (JNNURM) has approved detailed project reports (DPR) worth Rs 95 crore for setting up water networks in old and new city areas of Surat.

Not only new DPR for water network was approved but also final portion of grant money allotted for BRTS network in the city amounting to Rs 58.62 crore was also paid up by JNNURM.

Under the new DPR, the plan is made to provide water by setting up a network of 56 km covering areas like Vesu, Palanpur, Pal and new areas of Athwa and Rander zone. 18 km network would be set up for old city areas and remaining will be in new city areas. 12 new over head water tanks would be set up and three water treatment plants of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) would be used. Pipelines would be set in 56 km area to supply water to 2.90 lakh people.

The population of this area at present is about 3 lakh and it is likely to be more than 11 lakh by 2044. SMC is making this provision looking at projected population of 11 lakh people in 2044.

Civic body awaits nod for advanced slaughterhouse

Monday, 17 February 2014 07:25 administrator

The Times of India 17.02.2014

Civic body awaits nod for advanced slaughterhouse

KOZHIKODE: The Kozhikode Corporation authorities are expecting positive response from the investors in the forthcoming investors meet to be held in Kochi for its advanced slaughterhouse at Kothi.

The advanced slaughter house is one of the proposals which will be presented in the 'Partner Kerala' investors meet in Kochi on February 24 and 25.

The advanced slaughterhouse is planned on Public-Private-Partnership model.

The civic body had already acquired 94 cents for the project and had set-aside a sum of Rs 20 lakh to construct a wall around the acquired land.

The civic body does not have any monitoring system in place to check the quality of meat being sold at the meat shops.

The civic body decided to include the proposal in the investors meet as the project needs more than Rs 2 crore funding. The corporation is planning to complete the works at the earliest to ensure that the shops here sell only hygienic meat.

Health standing committee chairperson Janamma Kunjunni said that the civic body would be able to properly monitor the selling of meat in the shops once the slaughter house becomes a reality.

"The meat waste would be converted into value-added products like manure and pet foods,'' said the chairperson.

South Delhi to get 32 new vans to impound stray dogs

Friday, 14 February 2014 07:13 administrator

The Hindu 14.02.2014

South Delhi to get 32 new vans to impound stray dogs

Staff Reporter

4,600 cases of dog bites registered at SDMC hospitals in 2013

The over 4,000 instances of dog attacks in South Delhi last year seem to have spurred the civic body into action.

Tired of waiting for years to get land for setting up a hospital dedicated to dogs, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Wednesday announced that 32 new vans would be procured to impound, immunise and sterilise stray dogs.

“There were approximately 4,600 cases of dog bites registered at SDMC hospitals in 2013,” SDMC spokesperson Mukesh Yadav said.

The Leader of the House in the SDMC, Subhash Arya, said: “We are not getting land from the the Delhi Development Authority to establish a dog hospital, so we are engaging vans to solve the problem of stray dogs.”

“We have been waiting to get land for three to four years, so now we’ve come up with an alternative solution,” explained Mr. Yadav.

The project is likely to get a Rs.5-crore allocation in the civic body’s budget, which will be announced on Friday, said Mr. Yadav.

Through the allocation in the 2014-2015 budget, the civic body aims to sterilise 1,30,000 dogs.

Mr. Arya said 24 vans will be put into service to impound stray dogs and eight more will be equipped with facilities for immunising and sterilising them.

After immunisation and sterilisation, the dogs will be released back to the spot from where they were picked up, added Mr. Arya.

Meanwhile, PETA India CEO Poorva Joshipura said: “There are millions of stray dogs struggling to survive on Indian streets. Many of these animals go hungry, are hit by cars, illegally poisoned or abused by cruel people in other ways.”

Ms. Joshipura explained that sterilised dogs live healthier lives and are less likely to bite.

“PETA supports effective and humane sterilisation efforts, in which the dogs are handled with kindness and after sterilisation returned to where they were found,” added Ms. Joshipura.

New Town to get three subways, an overbridge

Thursday, 13 February 2014 09:38 administrator

The Times of India 13.02.2014

New Town to get three subways, an overbridge

KOLKATA: Rajarhat New Town's smooth roads over which vehicles zip by have always been a challenge for pedestrians to cross, often leading to accidents. But there's a solution in sight now. A number of pedestrian subways are being constructed by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) under the arterial road of Bengal's showcase township.

NKDA and Hidco chairman Debashis Sen said one subway has already been commissioned at Akhankha More close to Chinar Park and another at DLF More is under way. A third has been planned in front of Eco Park.

"The subway at DLF More is expected to be completed by Durga Puja," Sen said. This subway, commissioned last year, has a number of exit and entry points.

The one at DLF More in Action Area I will provide relief to thousands of employees of IT sector offices and residents of apartment blocks that have come up around that spot. With a sharp increase in vehicular traffic on this road that leads to Salt Lake Sector V, the subway has been a longstanding demand of locals.

Official projections say that traffic on this road is set for an exponential rise as more residential and commercial complexes come up.

That's why the NKDA has planned another 60-metre-long subway to connect Eco Park's gate No. 2 to the bus stand in front of Finance Centre on the other side. The advanced tunnel boring system being used for Metro will be used for building this subway.

Apart from these subways, NKDA will construct a canal overbridge in Action Area III to replace the existing steel Bailey bridge. It will help vehicles enter Action Area III where several major residential and commercial projects are coming up. Soil testing for the project has started.

NDMC prepares to redevelop Khan Market

Thursday, 13 February 2014 09:28 administrator

The Times of India 13.02.2014

NDMC prepares to redevelop Khan Market

NEW DELHI: After Connaught Place and Palika Bazaar, New Delhi Municipal Council has turned its attention to Gole Market, INA-Dilli Haat, Khan Market and Sarojini Nagar Market in the new financial year. Presenting the budget for financial year 2014-15, NDMC chairman Jalaj Srivastava said there is an urgent need to decongest these markets and redevelopment plans are on anvil.

As per the initial plan, the civic agency will construct an underground car corridor around these markets to address the growing parking requirement. The markets will have common air-conditioning units, uniform facade and more space for pedestrians. While work on Khan Market redevelopment plan will start soon, the civic agency will hire consultants to prepare a redevelopment plan for three markets.

"These markets have high footfall. But the parking space is inadequate. Now, we have to upgrade the infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the areas. The underground car corridors will provide a solution to the parking problem. We will identify parking sites in and around these markets and connect them through the car corridors," said Srivastava.

While it is planning new projects to address the parking problem, the civic agency admits that the two multi-storeyed automated parking lots in Sarojini Nagar and Baba Kharak Singh Marg have not been "complete success stories". "We need to encourage people to use these parking lots. It is not a complete success as people prefer surface level parking," said Srivastava.

For long, traders have been demanding that the civic agency start a feeder service between the parking lot and Connaught Place. But the civic agency has no immediate plan to start feeder bus service.

To improve sanitation in NDMC areas, the civic agency will start a door-to-door waste collection facility. "We will construct state-of-the-art transfer stations so that waste is dumped here first. It will be transported to the landfill site during night time. We plan to do away with dhalaos. Existing dhalaos in the area will be converted into public toilets," said Srivastava.

Officials say the main focus in the next financial year will be on augmenting existing services ranging from water and power to sanitation. It has allocated close to Rs 1,600 crore just for redevelopment and upgrade of existing amenities. The civic agency is also set to implement its round-the-clock water supply scheme. The Rs 153-crore project has been approved by the Council and work will start shortly.