Urban News

Deccan Chronicle 27.08.2009

Gandhinagar to be garbage-free zone

Bengaluru, Aug. 26: With Bengaluru fast changing its reputation from garden city to garbage city, the BBMP is experimenting with creating a “zero garbage zone” in Gandhinagar, which with its many shops, cinema halls and markets sees a floating population of around 12 to 15 lakh every day, and generates a huge amount of rubbish.

“The crowded nature of the locality made it an ideal experimental ground for the garbage-free zone pilot project,” explains BBMP additional commissioner V.P. Ikkeri, adding that small dustbins have been placed on the roads in Gandhinagar and public announcements are being made about using them to dump garbage. Awareness is being created on keeping the area clean with the help of Prahari vehicles mounted with public announcement systems. “This is a simple initiative to create awareness among the public to keep Bengaluru litter-free,” he says.

Around 50 mobile containers have been engaged to clear the garbage collected in the bins and tippers are being used at to ensure that garbage does not spill out and litter the streets.

BBMP has sought the cooperation of the traders’ association in making the project a success and plans to install a public announcement system at street corners to announce the need to use dustbins and keep the city clean. “The traders are already cooperating with us in this effort. The idea will be replicated in other localities like Malleswaram and Rajajinagar,” says the additional commissioner.

The BBMP is also painting the walls in the area with social messages exhorting people to stop defacing them.

Paintings explaining Karnataka’s rich heritage and culture will decorate the walls instead with the help of advertising agencies in the city at a nominal cost, Mr Ikeri adds.

The Hindu 27.08.2009

Mayor to convene meeting to tackle water-logging

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A day after Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna issued directions to the local civic bodies to devise a comprehensive strategy to combat water-logging and traffic jams in the city in the wake of every downpour, Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain on Wednesday decided to call a meeting of senior municipal officials next week to tackle the issue.

Mr. Khanna had directed the civic bodies to work on strengthening the overall drainage system in the city, besides formulating short-term measures within a week.

Dr. Sain said: “The issue of water-logging was discussed at the meeting with the L-G on Tuesday. I will hold a meeting with senior officials next week to discuss how to resolve the problems.”

Maintaining that all the agencies were responsible for the state of drainage system in the city, the Mayor added: “We are trying our best to resolve the issue but unfortunately public perception is such that only the MCD is being blamed for all the water-logging incidents that take place in the Capital. Several localities under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council or areas where the Delhi Metro railway is undertaking work also get inundated during rain.”

Meanwhile, rain lashed parts of the Capital on Wednesday afternoon as well slowing down vehicular movement at several places including Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, Connaught Place and Pragati Maidan.

According to the Meteorological Department, the Capital received 4 mm of rainfall on Wednesday and the maximum temperature stood at 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was 26 degrees.