Urban Planning

Multi-level car parks in city

Friday, 05 July 2013 07:42 administrator

Deccan Chronicle 05.07.2013

Multi-level car parks in city

Visakhapatnam: With vehicle population in the city increasing rapidly and posing a challenge to the city’s traffic system, the GVMC has proposed Multi Level Car Parking (MLCPs) places to cater to the city’s parking needs.

There are no specific parking lots on the main thoroughfares in the city. The existing ones run by GVMC and others are not adequate to accommodate the ever-increasing vehicle population. Officials opine that the move would reduce parking problems on busy streets.

With paucity of land, plans for creating more open parking lots and building integrated multi-storeyed complexes seems to be the only viable solution to parking woes.

The civic body has given top priority to multi-level car parks at important locations such as RK Beach, Jagadamba Centre, Siripuram Junction, Dwarakanagar, Dabagardens, Gajuwaka and Maddilapalem as it expects the number of cars to increase threefold in the coming years from the existing around 50,000 cars.

Authorities have proposed three specific parking locations on Beach Road to ease clearing parking problems. Such a facility, besides reducing the congestion on the roads, will provide safe passage for pedestrians, as many pavements at busy junctions are being used for parking.

The MLCPs, as per initial plans, can be built on BOT mode with support from Andhra University and Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority. Even though the civic body has proposed these facilities close to busy junctions there is no adequate space for building the structures.

The authorities are negotiating with Andhra University for providing space. They propose to develop such multilevel parking places on PPP mode by obtaining land from the varsity. They are considering operating the places either on revenue sharing basis or providing alternate site for the varsity.

In fact, with no parking facility, commuters park their vehicles on the streets at busy junctions and are penalized by the traffic cops, apart from going through the trouble of finding the vehicle towed away by the traffic cops. Multilevel parking solution is the only answer to the city’s parking woes. GVMC hopes the parks will help in easing problems.

VMC demolishes structures

Tuesday, 02 July 2013 06:14 administrator

The Hindu 02.07.2013

VMC demolishes structures

Staff Reporter

The town planning wing of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) demolished the unauthorised constructions on second and third floor of a house at Revenue Colony in Vijayawada on Monday.

Building inspector Aruna supervised the removal of unauthorised constructions.

Felicitated

VMC Office Subordinates Association felicitated K. Jayamma, who retired from services, in Vijayawada on Monday. The association members recalled her services. She worked in Circle-II engineering section of the municipal coporation.

South corpn clears first layout plans for regularised colonies

Wednesday, 26 June 2013 11:10 administrator

The Indian Express 26.06.2013

South corpn clears first layout plans for regularised colonies

Almost 10 months after the regularisation of 895 colonies, the South Municipal Corporation on Tuesday approved the first layout plans for two such colonies under its jurisdiction. The Standing Committee of the corporation approved the layout plans for Rajouri Garden Extension and Meethapur Colony in Badarpur. The North and East corporations had approved layout plans for colonies under their purview earlier this year.

However, South corporation officials said the Residential Welfare Associations (RWA) of the two colonies would have to pay a layout preparation fee before the plans are released, even as the Fire department mandates that the minimum width of the road in the colony should be 6 metres.

"The case was scrutinised by the Layout Scrutiny Committee and it was decided that the minimum right of way on internal roads has to be maintained at 6 metres. Before the release of layout plan, the RWAs shall pay layout preparation fee to the consulting institute for preparation of layout plan. The consulting institute for the colonies is School of Planning and Architecture," a senior official said.

While the area of the plots have not been mentioned in the regularisation plan submitted by the RWAs, the width of the roads in both colonies varies from 1.8 m to 7.5 m. "The width of roads in Rajouri Garden Extension varies from 1.8 m to 7.5 m and is between 2.4 m and 7.5 m in Meethapur. The minimum right of way for internal roads has to be maintained at 6 m," a senior Town Planning department official said.

According to officials, the land use in Meethapur Colony is yet to be defined and the total area of the colony is 28.43 acres, of which 12.73 acres is residential. Rajouri Garden Extension falls under gross residential area and the total area of the colony is 5.22 acres, of which 3.42 acres is marked as residential.

In September last year, Delhi government identified 895 colonies for regularisation, of which 312 are on private land, for which corporations have to approve layout plans.

This footpath harvests rainwater

Wednesday, 26 June 2013 10:46 administrator

Deccan Herald 26.06.2013

This footpath harvests rainwater

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has constructed a ‘model footpath’ with rainwater harvesting pits under the surface on Anebande Road in Jayanagar 3rd Block.

The footpath, constructed at a cost of Rs 23 lakh, has a divider where saplings have been planted. Before constructing the footpath, the side drains were strengthened and rainwater harvesting pits dug every 30 feet, to allow percolation of water.

The footpath is a self-serving construction, capable of replenishing the water table in the area and feeding the saplings planted in the divider. It also contains anti-skid tiles.
According to Yediyur corporator N R Ramesh, the Palike had released Rs 68 lakh for the project.

“The balance was refunded to the Palike,” he said. The corporator said not a single drop of rainwater that falls on the footpath would go waste.

Bangalore South MP Ananthkumar, who inaugurated the footpath, said such footpaths were urgently required across the City and called upon all corporators to emulate the model to tackle water crisis in Bangalore.

Padmanabhanagar legislator R Ashoka said existing footpaths have turned into parking places. “But this new footpath will ensure safety of pedestrians and help increase the ground water table,” he added.

Ashoka flayed the Congress government for increasing the bus fare by 16 per cent. He claimed that a similar proposal had been made when he was the transport minister, and that he had rejected it.

“A hike in the bus fare will drill a hole in the pockets of the lower middleclass,” Ashok added.

VDA seals basement of over 15 buildings

Friday, 21 June 2013 12:20 administrator

The Times of India 21.06.2013

VDA seals basement of over 15 buildings

VARANASI: The Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) on Thursday sealed basements of 16 buildings as instead of utilising the places for parking zones, the building owners were using the sites for commercial gains.

The VDA had launched a three-day drive from Wednesday to check whether the basement parking zones of the commercial and other buildings, maps of which were passed after the provision of parking site in the basements, are being used properly.

On the first day of drive, three teams of VDA sealed the basements of three buildings.

Under the drive, four teams of VDA moved in the areas on Thursday. The zonal officers checked 62 buildings with assistant and junior engineers.

VDA vice-chairman VK Singh said that out of 62 buildings, 20 were found under construction while basements of 26 are being used as parking zones. But in16 buildings, the officials found that instead of parking zones, the spots were used for commercial activities.

More Articles...