Urban Planning

Master plan for rain woes

Tuesday, 11 June 2013 09:36 administrator

The New Indian Express 11.06.2013

The State government has drawn up a master plan to develop over 840 km of storm water drains in Bangalore as a lasting solution to the flooding of homes and the city’s streets during monsoon.

Besides this, in a written response to a calling attention notice served by the BJP members Ashwath Narayan, Tara Anuradha and Doddarangegowda in the legislative council on Monday, IT-BT Minister and House leader S R Patil stated on behalf of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah: “Arrangements have been made to see that BBMP joins hands with the State Disaster Management Department to resolve rain issues. A 20-member team has been kept on 24/7 duty to rush and clear traffic blocked by uprooting of trees during rains. Potential flooding areas have been identified. The BBMP has established 24-hour control rooms manned by 13 emergency vehicles and 200 gangmen to receive complaints and grievances.”

The members said in their notice that the citizens of Bangalore, especially those living in the low-lying areas, were put to untold miseries following the recent rains, which had also claimed lives of a few.

Patil said: “Due to the topography of the city, there are several areas which face flood-like situations during heavy rains. The main storm water drains overflow and we have worked out a comprehensive plan to find a lasting solution. A master plan has been worked out after eliciting opinions from experts. The storm water drains will be developed in stages over the next few years.”

Desilting, removal of encroachments, replacement of old bridges and culverts are also part of this master plan, he said.

Rainwater harvesting norms yet to be enforced

Monday, 10 June 2013 12:06 administrator

The Hindu 10.06.2013

Rainwater harvesting norms yet to be enforced

It appears to be yet another wasted monsoon for the State. The State government and local self-government institutions have done precious little to conserve the monsoon rain received this year.

The State government and civic authorities seem to be going slow on enforcing the provisions for rainwater harvesting in the Kerala Municipal Building Rules (KMBR). Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had said that rainwater harvesting would be made mandatory for all buildings and a Cabinet sub-committee comprising Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali; Minister for Panchayats M.K. Muneer and Minister for Water Resources P.J. Joseph; was formed for framing the rules in this regard.

Town and Country Planning Department sources told The Hindu on Sunday that rainwater harvesting was made mandatory for all buildings and provisions were incorporated in the KMBR since December 2004. The rules specified that “workable rooftop rainwater harvesting arrangements shall be provided as an integral part of all new building constructions” unless otherwise specifically stipulated in a town planning scheme. This clause is applicable to buildings constructed for residential, educational, commercial, and other purposes too.

Buildings with thatched roofs have been exempted from the rules. The local bodies concerned should enforce workable artificial groundwater recharging arrangements as an integral part of all new buildings through collection of rooftop rainwater.

Exemptions can be granted in exceptional cases such as water-logging or impermeable subsoil conditions to considerable depths. The Local Administration Department issued the guidelines for enforcing the rule on March 17, 2004. The government had taken a cue from a system in vogue in Tamil Nadu.

Though the State had been witnessing a boom in the construction sector, the civic bodies which issue all mandatory clearances for building construction have not imposed the provisions so far. Almost all areas in the five corporation limits, 53 municipalities and the majority of the panchayats faced acute drinking water shortage. The Kerala Water Authority had initiated punitive measures to prevent pilferage of drinking water during the summer season, but to no avail.

Official sources told The Hindu here that instead of forming a Cabinet sub-committee to frame a new set of regulations, the government could have well enforced the provisions laid in 2004 for conserving the water during the current monsoon season.

BMC may expand rainwater harvesting

Thursday, 06 June 2013 09:13 administrator

The Indian Express 06.06.2013

BMC may expand rainwater harvesting

BMC is considering seven proposals to harvest rain in open spaces across the city. The proposals made by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are along the lines of the rainwater harvesting system being set up at the popular 28-acre Shivaji Park in Dadar.

The civic administration has received proposals to allow rainwater harvesting at playgrounds in Dadar near Siddhivinayak Temple, in Prabhadevi and at five other playgrounds in Sewri.

While the proposals to set up rainwater harvesting cells in Sewri have received civic administration nod, MNS is awaiting approval to harvest rain in playgrounds in Dadar and Prabhadevi.

These projects are expected to be approved under the BMC social responsibility scheme.

"We have approached various corporate houses to fund these projects. This is expected to materialise within a month. This system will help BMC save water and increase supply to locals," said Sandeep Deshpande, MNS corporator and standing committee member.

He said approvals for Dadar and Prabhadevi projects were expected soon. "Unlike in the case of the Shivaji Park rainwater harvesting system, which falls under the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) and needs multiple permissions, these playgrounds are not in CRZ," said Deshpande.

"Shivaji Park had borewells and wells to help set up the rainwater harvesting system. But at these seven grounds, one will have to dig wells to set up the system," said a civic official.

Meanwhile, work at Shivaji Park has already begun and is expected to be completed within a month. This would make Shivaji Park the first public open space with its own source of water supply.

"Funding for such projects has been sought from local corporate houses," said a senior civic official.

The Shivaji Park project costing Rs 16 crore has been sponsored by a company run by MNS legislator Nitin Sardesai.

The project involves digging trenches along the boundary of the park through which rainwater will flow to borewells and ring wells.

"If the system at Shivaji Park is installed by June-end, rainwater can be stored rest of the season and used through the year," said Deshpande.

The 28-acre open space had a potential to harvest 20 crore litres, he said.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to list more heritage buildings

Wednesday, 05 June 2013 12:21 administrator

The Times of India 05.06.2013

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to list more heritage buildings

AHMEDABAD: In what could set an example before the Unesco world Heritage Committee, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is preparing a comprehensive list of heritage structures - government and private properties-outside the walled city. Though the listing of heritage havelis and structures undertaken by the team lead by Cept professor RJ Vasavda is almost on the verge of completion for the walled city, the second phase of listing will also begin soon. The work was listed in the upcoming standing committee agenda of the AMC and is proposed to be assigned to INTACH.

For once listed, the owners will not only get the benefit of additional tradable FSI, which they can sell to builders for a premium, they can use the money for restoration of the building. Several government structures, including bridges are to be included in the new list. The Dandi bridge near Sabarmati Ashram which was recently burnt in an accidental fire and later restored by the AMC will be part of the list. So will many other buildings-like Shah Jahan's Moti Shahi palace in Shahibaug.

"In order to develop a financing support mechanism for repairs of privately owned and trust-owned heritage structures and precincts - mainly havelis, temples and monuments, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), in its recently declared development plan has proposed a tradeable FSI incentive scheme called Tradeable Development Rights (TDR) for the walled city," says a senior AMC official.

The scheme varies with the age of the building. For instance, havelis that are 150 to 200 years old, which are categorized as grade 1, have a higher tradeable FSI. This actually helps the owner of the heritage building to trade or lease the extra FSI allotted with any developer anywhere in the city for a price. The money raised through this trade has to be utilized for conservation of the heritage building. The graded heritage structures will be eligible to receive Tradable Rights Certificate (TRC).

The present tradable FSI varies between 0.5 FSI for 'grade 1' properties to 0.3 FSI for lesser grade buildings. Apart from this, AUDA has proposed formulation of heritage building design guidelines for controlling visual and physical character of the building.

Corporation to issue notice to mall, establishments

Friday, 31 May 2013 05:26 administrator

The Hindu 31.05.2013

Corporation to issue notice to mall, establishments

End to end:Compound walls projecting into the Edappally canal have narrowed its width.— Photo: H. Vibhu

Civic body’s intervention follows a spate of reports on encroachments stifling Edappally canal.

The Kochi Corporation will soon issue show-cause notices to the LuLu shopping mall, workshops, garbage yards and other establishments which have allegedly encroached upon the water body or whose boundaries hamper free flow of water in the Edappally canal, the chairman of the Town Planning Standing Committee K.J. Sohan has said.

This was aimed at ensuring the mandatory width for making the Edappally canal navigable, Mr. Sohan said. The corporation decided to intervene in the issue, though belatedly, following a spate of media reports on encroachers stifling the water body.

Sources in the water transport sector said the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) had in March 2012 mentioned 13 encroachments into the canal that was once used to ship people and materials.

The encroachments include a 540-metre-long compound wall built alongside the canal. The other violations range from a 30-metre-long compound wall to 100-m-long parking sheds. These were listed in a study titled ‘Action plan on development of the Edappally canal’.

On allegations that a mall’s compound wall is hampering free flow of water, sources said that there was a condition in the no-objection certificate issued by the Kochi Corporation to the property that the compound wall has to be at a straight line from the bridge along NH 47 at Edappally Junction.

“It was also asked to demolish the portions of the wall that protrude into the canal. The operators were also asked to clean up the slush and construction debris from the water body. As for bridges built over the canal in violation of the minimum height (4.50 metre) rule, it is up to the Irrigation Department to initiate action,” said a corporator. Officials associated with Kochi metro rail said making the canal navigable at the earliest is crucial to ensuring integration of different modes of transport.

“This is among the criteria set by Japanese and French financial agencies to provide loans for the metro. Big boats can ply in either direction only if the canal is 15-metre wide.”

Currently, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has identified Edappally and Vyttila as the two hubs for integrating the metro rail with water transport.

The clearance of the Edappally waterway for enabling waterborne traffic is one of the secondary objectives of the KMRL as part of the action for making this canal navigable.

The district revenue authorities have been asked to conduct a resurvey along the length of the canal in this regard, said a press release issued by the agency.

Compound wall issue

On whether LuLu mall’s compound wall would have to be demolished for the ‘landing’ from the Edappally metro station, sources said the station has been relocated just next to the bridge on NH, with landings on vacant spots on either side. This prevents the need to demolish the wall.

Untreated sewage

Meanwhile, members of Mankuzhi Nagar Residents’ Association, who reside just behind LuLu mall, have objected to the increase in encroachments and the discharge of effluents into the canal.

“Oftentimes, people complain of severe head ache due to the nauseating stench. The issue was also taken up with the mall’s management since it is affecting people’s health in a major way,” said M.B. Prakash, former councillor of Kalamassery municipality. The issue has also been taken up with the District Administration, the State Human Rights Commission and the Pollution Control Board.

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