Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Towns and Cities

Civic body makes a power point

Tuesday, 28 August 2012 00:00 administrator
Print PDF

The New Indian Express    28.08.2012

Civic body makes a power point

HYDERABAD

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has cracked the whip on advertising agencies to ensure judicious usage of available power. Express

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has cracked the whip on advertising agencies to ensure judicious usage of available power. Express 

In the wake of severe power shortage in the State, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has cracked the whip on advertising agencies to ensure judicious usage of available power.

The advertising agencies within the city limits were ordered not to illuminate hoardings from Saturday evening until further instructions.

GHMC commissioner MT Krishna Babu issued the instructions after a meeting with Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain on Saturday. “Violation of the instructions will be viewed seriously and action will be initiated against the violators,” said Krishna Babu. Incidentally, 40 per cent of the 3,300 hoardings in the city are illuminated after dark. “We can save much needed power if the illumination is halted,” the GHMC commissioner said.

Krishna Babu also instructed the maintenance staff of GHMC electrical wing to switch on and switch off streetlights at the right time. “Streetlights should be switched on after 7 pm only and should be switched off before 5 am,” he ordered. He said that it was noted that in several areas the maintenance staff was switching on streetlights by 5 pm and leaving them on till 8 am.

He opined that strict regulation of street lighting can save power consumption for 2 to 3 hours every day, which will amount to 20-25 per cent of the total electricity consumption. The GHMC is using 20 million units every month for streetlighting and provision of water supply to the city outskirts. “Also, we are planning to replace sodium vapour lights and tubelights with LED and CFL lamps. However, this plan is getting delayed due to court cases and fund arrangements,” the commissioner said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 August 2012 06:11
 

Patna Municipal Corporation fails to light up city roads

Monday, 27 August 2012 09:36 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India    27.08.2012

Patna Municipal Corporation fails to light up city roads

PATNA: The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has on several occasions proved that 'promises are meant to be broken'. The PMC authorities have not only failed to keep the city clean, but also to light the streets. The corporation last year promised the Patnaites that each PMC ward would get 50 bulbs for the street lights. The high mast lights were also supposed to be working properly, but nothing has changed this year even though Rs 4.5 crore was sanctioned for this purpose during 2011-12. However, it was never utilized. And as of now, many high mast lights stand non-functional. Initially, residents used to complain but now they too have given up.

A civic body official said, "The PMC had asked for payment of the holding tax worth Rs 200 crore from Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) which, in return, slapped the PMC with a huge electricity bill of Rs 250 crore. Both the PMC and the BSEB have held several meetings regarding the bill clearance, but to no avail so far." Patna Mayor Afzal Imam said, "The PMC used the electricity for public service. So, we expected a reduction in the bill amount."

Sources in PMC add the civic body is in a fix over who should be given the onus of maintaining the lights. It floated a tender for a tie-up in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode last month, but it was cancelled owing to alleged irregularities in the acceptance of the tender.

The major roads and areas of the city, including Frazer Road, Kargil Chowk, Ashok Rajpath, Exhibition Road, Income-Tax roundabout, Patliputra Colony, Gardanibagh, Kankarbagh, Digha, Ashiana Road, Jagdeo Path, Indrapuri, AG Colony, Lodipur, Rajivnagar, Police Lines, Rajendra Nagar and Patna City, are the worst affected due to lack of proper lighting.

There are only 23 high mast lights for 925 roads and streets falling under the jurisdiction of the PMC. According to PMC sources, the corporation had paid Rs 58 lakh to Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (Pesu) in 2000 for maintenance of streetlights from 2000 to 2004. After the fund was exhausted, a complete utilization report was submitted in 2004 and after that the PMC was requested to maintain the streetlights. However, the PMC again paid Rs15 lakh to Pesu in October 2004 for the maintenance of streetlights. Finally, when the fund was exhausted, the Pesu presented another utilization report to the PMC and handed over the charge of streetlights' maintenance to it.

Last Updated on Monday, 27 August 2012 09:36
 

Stray dogs: Corporation, veterinary office pass the buck

Monday, 27 August 2012 09:09 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India    27.08.2012

Stray dogs: Corporation, veterinary office pass the buck

KOZHIKODE: Even as the corporation and the district veterinary office keep blaming each other for the delay in implementing the animal birth control (ABC) programme to control the canine population in the city, stray dog menace in the city continues unabated.Stray dog attacks on two-wheeler riders at night in areas like Medical College, East Hill, West Hill, Chungam and Kallayi are a commonplace.Mayor A K Premajam said the civic body had been getting large number of complaints on this. She said the corporation was not in a position to control the dog population as the government had not yet granted it permission to appoint dog-catchers.

"Corporation can only try and check stray dogs' access to garbage. Waste getting accumulated in public places is the major reason why dogs proliferate," she said.She also blamed the district veterinary office for not implementing the ABC programme.Meanwhile, Kozhikode chief veterinary officer Dr M M Mathayi said the corporation should appoint dog-catchers and only then his department could think of sterilizing dogs."The department has already submitted a detailed project report to the corporation on curbing the stray dog menace. However, the corporation is yet to take any action based on it.

The district veterinary office is well-equipped to sterilize street dogs, but the corporation should be ready to implement the proposals submitted by the department," he said.Meanwhile, the Atholi panchayat has formed local-level youth squads to deal with the issue in the backdrop of rabid dog attacks.More than 40 people in Ottambalam, Velur West and Kuniyilkadavu areas in the panchayat were admitted to the medical college hospital last week after they were bitten by rabid dogs. Rabid dogs also created panic in Kizhur and Thachankunnu regions in Payyoli panchayat last week.

"It is difficult to deal with the situation as killing of street dogs has been banned. However, panchayat authorities cannot stop people who kill dogs that attack them," said panchayat president Rama Paloth.She also said the panchayat was planning to appoint dog-catchers and also sterilize street dogs.

Last Updated on Monday, 27 August 2012 09:11
 
More Articles...


Page 227 of 870