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Kovai city expansion likely before year-end

Monday, 30 August 2010 11:33 administrator Accounts / Audit
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The New Indian Express  30.08.2010

Kovai city expansion likely before year-end

COIMBATORE: Mayor R Venkatachalam (Cong), Deputy Mayor N Karthik (DMK) and DMK and Congress councillors are hoping that the State government will approve of the city expansion proposal before the end of this year as the Assembly election is due in May next year.

If the government fails to okay the proposal, which has been pending since 2007, the mayor and deputy mayor will lose their image as their term will expire in September 2011. The civic body will go to polls in October.

According to sources, the corporation wanted to merge 32 peripheral local bodies with the city increasing the jurisdiction up to 506.47 sqkm with 14.60 lakh population (2001 census). District Collector P Umanath, Chief Secretary KS Sripathi and top brass of municipal administration discussed and reviewed the proposal many a time and have recommended that the rapidly growing 10 local bodies which include three municipalities, six town panchayats and one village panchayat may be merged with the city for easy administration.

The recommended 10 civic bodies are: Kurichi, Kuniamuthur and Kavundampalayam municipalities, Saravanampatti, Kalapatti, Vellalore, Vadavalli, Thudiyalur and Veerakeralam town panchayats and Vilankurichi village panchayat. Buildings, business centres and roads have already come up adequately in these areas.

Following this, the corporation has decided to implement the expansion proposal after obtaining approval from the government under section 3 (4-8) of Coimbatore Corporation Act 1981. The last city expansion was done in 1981.

Since this is the final estimation of the viable expansion programme, mayor and deputy mayor and corporation commissioner Anshul Mishra have informed the peripheral local bodies to pass a resolution in council meetings and give consent for the merger. Accordingly, these civic bodies are in the process of doing so as the residents have supported the proposal hoping for better facilities.

Last Updated on Monday, 30 August 2010 11:35
 

‘Clean drains to make RWH a success’

Friday, 27 August 2010 09:38 administrator Accounts / Audit
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The New Indian Express  27.08.2010

‘Clean drains to make RWH a success’

CHENNAI: Lack of alleged coordination between the Metro Water and Chennai Corporation in tackling the sewage issue, besides the cleaning up of drains, was highlighted during the rainwater harvesting awareness meet at the Water supply board office-IV on New Avadi Road.

Residents present during the occasion said that to make the rainwater harvesting a success, the Metro Water must pay attention to issues like cleaning up the drains as well as the sewage network so that the stored rainwater does not get contaminated. They also stressed the need for adopting such techniques in public places and preserving water bodies.

Responding to the suggestions, Metro Water officials assured that the issue would be considered.

Meanwhile, director of Aakash Ganga Rain Centre Sekhar Raghavan said lakhs of houses here conserve water by rainwater harvesting techniques since a Government Order was passed in this regard in 2003.

Interestingly, last year there was only one meeting on rainwater harvesting. This time it has been done in 12 zones and the government was doing its best.

Last Updated on Friday, 27 August 2010 09:45
 

Rs 4 crore project to restore Pallikarani as bird sanctuary

Friday, 13 August 2010 10:51 administrator Accounts / Audit
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The Times of India  13.08.2010

Rs 4 crore project to restore Pallikarani as bird sanctuary

CHENNAI: The city may soon get a mini Vedanthangal, with the Tamil Nadu forest department planning a restoration project for the Pallikaranai marsh which attracts flocks of migratory birds.

The Rs 4-crore project supported by the Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project (ETRP) aims at conserving 317 hectares of reserve land in Pallikkaranai and developing it as a bird sanctuary. Pallikaranai attracts migratory birds like painted storks, cormorants, pelicans and herons, but in the absence of a proper pathway around the marsh, they are not visible to the bird-watcher.

Bunds would be built all around the marsh to protect the ecosystem from encroachers and dumping of waste. The walkway will come on the bund. "This would provide an opportunity for bird watchers and nature enthusiasts to have a better view of the migratory birds which come here for breeding," Nihar Ranjan, district forest officer, Kancheepuram said.

For better maintenance and surveillance of the marsh, the department also plans to construct a staff quarters in the area. "We are trying to get a corporation land nearby to construct staff quarters. Construction activities are allowed inside the reserved land area only for forestry purposes," he said.

The project also aims to provide alternative employment to those who live near the marsh land and people affected by the tsunami of 2004. "The project will be completed in two years," the official added.

Meanwhiles, moves are afoot to remove encroachments on the marsh and declare the marsh, now a reserved land, as reserved forest.

"Declaration of an area as reserved forest is done in two phases. In the first phase, the area is declared as a reserved land under Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Forest Act. After this, forest officials survey the area and evict all encroachments in the area. Once the area is clear of illegal structures, it is declared a reserved forest under Section 14 of Tamil Nadu Forest Act. The 317 hectares land in Pallikkarani was declared reserved land in 2007 and the process is now on to declare it as a reserved forest," Nihar Ranjan said.

Last Updated on Friday, 13 August 2010 10:53
 
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