Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Environment

Plastic ban comes into effect in Kottayam

Thursday, 02 August 2012 06:02 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu   02.08.2012

Plastic ban comes into effect in Kottayam

Staff Reporter

Ban on plastic articles, especially carry bags, cups and plates, has formally come into effect in the town on Wednesday.

The decision in this regard had been taken by the district administration and was accepted by the Municipal Council. As per the new directives, shops will not use bags below 40 microns and would charge for carry bags of 40 microns or more.

It has also been decided that the resident associations, who would play a pivotal role in waste processing at source, should distribute eco-friendly materials as carry bags for their respective residents. The government offices in the town too would discard plastic cups, plates and other articles during functions and would reject plastic carry bag from their offices.

According to V.K. Anil Kumar, the chairman of Health Standing Committee, the Municipal authorities will continue the awareness campaign till Sunday and commence physical verification from Monday.

Last Updated on Thursday, 02 August 2012 06:04
 

CCMC cracks whip on plastic, encroachments in Margao

Wednesday, 01 August 2012 09:04 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India    01.08.2012

CCMC cracks whip on plastic, encroachments in Margao

MARGAO: Determined to keep the city clean, the Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council (CCMC) has embarked upon a drive against plastic carry-bags, illegal encroachments and the sale of gutkha within the city. The drive began with a two-day intensive awareness campaign led by chief officer Agnelo Fernandes and chairperson Jasmine Braganza last weekend.

"During the drive, we educated the traders against stocking plastic bags below 40 microns and offering them to their customers. Most of the traders voluntarily handed over their stocks of plastic carry bags below the specified thickness, and gutkha packets as well," Fernandes told TOI.

Once the required level of awareness is created, the CCMC will crack down against the violators with an iron hand, it was said.

In an indication that no illegalities in the allotment of stalls at the SUDA market complex would be tolerated, Fernandes ordered sealing of 51 stalls. "The 51 shops that were yet to be allotted to vendors were being used by unscrupulous traders. When this was brought to my notice, we sealed the shops and they are now in our possession. We will allot the shops through an open auction shortly," Fernandes said.

Similar anti-encroachment drives carried out by the CCMC in the past had met with little success, as the vendors would return to their road side places once the drive lost steam. This time, the CCMC is planning to accommodate the road side vendors in the proposed hawkers' zone near the SUDA market complex.

Confirming this, Fernandes told TOI that the area has been identified and the work of earmarking the spaces for the hawkers will be done on Wednesday. "We will allow hawkers to sell their wares only within the spaces allotted to them. They will also be permitted to erect umbrellas," Fernandes said.

The setting up of the hawkers' zone in the town is primarily aimed at clearing all illegal encroachments and to ease traffic congestion to a considerable extent, besides protecting the vendors from being at the mercy of the authorities.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 August 2012 09:07
 

Many city areas have no place for trees

Tuesday, 31 July 2012 11:08 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India    31.07.2012

Many city areas have no place for trees

NAGPUR: Trees are gradually vanishing as Nagpur is fast turning into a concrete jungle. This is more starkly visible in old city area that has lost considerable green cover over the years. The situation is so bad that Satranjipura and Gandhibagh zones of NMC have no open space for Nagpur Municipal Corporation's 'Green City Green Nagpur' drive. The NMC plans to launch its 1 lakh sapling plantation project campaign from these two zones.

A BJP corporator from Gandhibagh zone told TOI that they had been given target to plant 2,000 saplings. "But the zone that has such areas as Itwari and Mahal doesn't have space to plant even 100," said the corporator. The corporator pointed out that the area was densely populated commercial hub of the city but also had gained the dubious distinction of the lowest green cover (at just 34,000 trees) in the last tree census.

The first time corporator also pointed out that there was no space available even in Town Hall premises to plant saplings. The schools in this part of the city don't have grounds which could have helped the zone to reach the target.

Similar is the situation in Satranjipura zone. Here too, there are many wards where no place is even in school premises. "The densely populated Mominpura ward comes last with a meagre 195 trees, preceded by Bhankheda with 311 and Timki with hardly 550," said a source from Garden department.

NMC's garden superintendent N B Shrikhande admitted the scanty green cover in old city area. Considering the present situation, he said all 10 zones have been given a target of planting 28,000 saplings. He, however, pointed out that the gap would be made up by zones like Ashi Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Dharampeth etc where there is place. There are many new residential localities coming up along the outer ring road where trees could be planted, he said.

He said the 'Green City Green Nagpur' drive will mark a step towards restoration of damage done to the nature. "We just want to leave a healthy world for the future generation," he said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 July 2012 11:14
 
More Articles...


Page 43 of 100