After apartment caves in at Raopura, VMC issues notice to ‘weak’ buildings
Thursday, 23 May 2013 10:38
administrator
The Indian Express 23.05.2013 After apartment caves in at Raopura, VMC issues notice to ‘weak’ buildings
After a four-storey apartment in city's Raopura caved in, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) said about 56 buildings were issued the notice of caution in the last one and a half years. The VMC has expedited the survey of such buildings to prevent their collapse. The notice has been issued to builders of houses that are found to be in danger of falling down under section 64 of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act, after conducting surveys. "We have conducted surveys of such houses and have also issued notices to the builders and owners at regular intervals, asking them to make arrangements to prevent them from falling.
The survey is ongoing with monsoon approaching," Shailesh Mistry, chief engineer, VMC, said.
The executive engineers of different zones of the VMC said surveys have been an ongoing exercise. Many buildings were issued notice in the last few days after the Mahavir Apartment caved in. "Builders have been asked to ensure that the building remains intact or they have to take it down within fifteen days of getting notice, as per the Act. We help them in doing so, but the builders have to pay fee," Mistry said.
Raopura, where the Mahavir Apartment was located, has one of the highest number of such buildings at 14, officials said. VMC officials said Mahavir Apartment was also served similar notice, but the builders did not act on it.
Meanwhile, police said they were yet to take action against the builder, Rajesh Jain, and a junior clerk of VMC, Mahendra Rajput, who took down his building adjoining Mahavir Apartment, leading to its inevitable collapse.
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Soon, you'll be charged on hourly basis for parking in Sector 17
Thursday, 23 May 2013 10:29
administrator
The Indian Express 23.05.2013 Soon, you'll be charged on hourly basis for parking in Sector 17
MC panel approves Rs 5 for two hours and Rs 10 for each subsequent hour for parking four-wheelers; for two-wheelers, Rs 2 will be charged for
Soon, the city residents visiting Sector 17 will have to pay more for parking their vehicles as, amidst dissent by the BJP councillors, the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the Municipal Corporation on Tuesday gave its approval to charging hourly parking rates in two paid parking lots of the sector.
The residents will have to pay Rs 5 for two hours and Rs 10 for each subsequent hour for parking four-wheelers in two paid parking lots in the sector. These paid parking lots will be made fully automated.
The F&CC also decided that several parking lots in Industrial Area, Phase I, would be converted into paid parking lots, including the one in front of Elante Mall.
As per the proposal, a fully automatic parking system will be set up at the Empire Store parking and Sahib Singh parking lot in Sector 17. For four-wheelers, Rs 5 will be paid for the first two hours and Rs 10 for every subsequent hour. For multiple entries in one day, Rs 50 will be charged. For two-wheelers, Rs 2 will be charged for the first two hours and Rs 4 for every hour subsequently. In this case, for multiple entries in a day, Rs 20 will be charged.
The fully automated parking lot would ensure that parking of vehicles is done as per the slots available. No additional vehicles can be parked as is being done at present that results in chaotic conditions. The aim behind introducing hourly parking is to avoid congestion in the parking lots.
Tenders for installation of the system for automated parking lots have already been allotted and work is under process.
The sector is a commercial hub with a large number of vehicles being parked. It is difficult to find space to park over the weekends. Officials feel that charging parking on an hourly basis would ensure that vehicles are not parked in a particular place throughout the day. This would decongest the area and people will be able to find parking spaces.
Meanwhile, giving its dissent on the issue, BJP councillors stated that instead the parking lots should be given to some private companies to manage. "Officials claim that the aim is to decongest the area and ensure people do not park vehicles here throughout the day. However, if people will not park here, they will find a space somewhere else. Hourly parking charges would not solve any problem. It will just add to the financial burden on the city residents. We have given our dissent against the proposal," says councillor Davesh Moudgil.
Several parking lots in Industrial Area would be converted into paid parking lots. The proposal had been mooted by area councillor Satish Kainth in order to check parking chaos in the area.
After PMC clarification, NGT disposes of petition on Mutha river
Thursday, 23 May 2013 10:25
administrator
The Indian Express 23.05.2013 After PMC clarification, NGT disposes of petition on Mutha river
With the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) clarifying that it will not be implementing any 'River Navigation' project in Mutha, the National Green Tribunal Wednesday disposed of the petition seeking cancellation of such plan by the civic body citing it would have an adverse impact on the river.
PMC Legal Advisor Manjusha Idhate said the tribunal chaired by Swatanter Kumar ruled that the PMC has clarified that it is not implementing any river navigation project so the petition is being disposed off.
The tribunal has also rejected demands of the petitioner to stop the ongoing work of chanelisation of river and laying sewage pipelines in Mutha river.
PMC Legal Advisor Manjusha Idhate said the tribunal has rejected demands of the petitioner to stop the ongoing work of chanelisation of river and laying sewage pipelines in the Mutha river.
In his pleadings, petitioner Sarang Yadvadkar said the ongoing works of excavation for proposed channel, laying of sewage pipes and any other work in Mutha, Mula or Mula-Mutha which form/may form part of the navigation project must be stopped immediately.
The entire debris dumped in the riverbed and the sewage pipes laid in the river-bed must be removed at the cost of the officers and consultants behind implementations of the project, he said, adding, "The project of 'River Restoration and/or Navigation' must be cancelled. No funding must be given to any projects without Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), complete study and analysis of its implications and without having a public consultation on it."
"The EIA study should be made mandatory for all such projects, it said adding EIA should be published before the process for implementations starts."
"Boundaries of riverbed must be defined and marked by all local governments in conjunctions with ID and City Survey Department," petitioner said.
Meanwhile, the tribunal hearing two more petitions of Yadvadkar on the river issue is likely to declare the judgment in the next few days.
The other petition pertains to the opposition to the river-side road being developed as an alternative to Sinhagad Road, starting from the Mumbai-Bangalore bypass to Vithalwadi, while the second petition is about debris being dumped in the riverbed near Datar Farms.
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