Urban Development

Focus on water, drainage, traffic: Minister

Wednesday, 07 April 2010 09:58 administrator

The Hindu 07.04.2010

Focus on water, drainage, traffic: Minister

Staff Reporter

Stakeholders' workshop for preparing City Development Plan held

— Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

ASCI Assistant professor Murali Mohan speaking on City Development Plan at a workshop held in Guntur on Tuesday.

GUNTUR: Amid expectations that Guntur will be included in the second phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the stakeholders' orientation workshop was organised on Tuesday for preparing a City Development Plan (CDP). Entire programme has evoked positive response from the public.

The workshop was conducted by the Guntur Municipal Corporation with assistance from Administrative Staff College of India. Major Industries Minister Kanna Lakhminarayana said that CDP should finalise the road map for a comprehensive development of the city and asked the officials to focus on improving the amenities in slums, drinking water and drainage facilities everywhere.

Inaugurating the workshop, District Collector B. Ramajaneyulu said that cities were fast emerging engines of growth and symbols of modernity. He called for merger of neighbouring panchayats to reap the full benefits of the JNNURM. Mayor R. Mohana Sai Krishna and Municipal Commissioner K. Ilambarthi said that the CDP was an important document in getting funds under the JNNURM.

Assistant professor, ASCI, Murali Mohan explained through a power present presentation the importance, the method of preparation of CDP and the current situation on the efficiency of services with inputs from data and discussions with focus groups.

Professor Mohan said that CDP was a medium for long-term blueprint for overall development of the city covering economic growth, social development, infrastructure development, poverty alleviation etc.

After eliciting the opinion of stakeholders, a final CDP document would be made. ASCI advisor Ravindra Prasad, senior research associate Indupriya and research associate Tilak were present.

Municipal Tax payers association Parandhamayya suggested that entire water supply wing be brought under environmental engineering department and the existing sewerage section be merged. He said that while forming policies on solid waste management, it should be noted that only 75 grams per head was generated as 45 per cent of 250 grams was going as inert waste.

P.S. Anand, secretary, licensed engineers association, said that harvesting of surface water should be given a top priority. A retired professor, Rathiah explained the benefits of rainwater harvesting. T.V Krishna Murthy, retired A.D, Horticulture said that plantation should be made compulsory.

Deputy Transport Commissioner C. Ramesh suggested introduction of mass rapid transport system to solve the problem of high-density traffic, while BSNL officials said that GMC should intimate before digging of roads. Avagahana secretary Konda Siva Rami Reddy spoke.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 April 2010 10:00

Work in Progress

Tuesday, 06 April 2010 09:36 administrator

The New Indian Express 06.04.2010

Work in Progress

Kavitha Srinivasa

Vittal Mallya Road conjures up images of a hi-end fashion street, tinged with a socialite luster. The 430m stretch is home to leading fashion icons, including Jean Claude Biguine, a unisex spa.

There’s also the international brand label Esprit.

The icing on the cake is UB City, a posh, high security mall with service apartments and fine dining restaurants. An epitome of luxury retail, it flaunts labels like Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney, Salvatore Ferrigno, Gucci, Christian Dior and Alfred Dunhill, besides luxury watches like Omega and Rolex. Much before this, the haute route was chalked out when ffolio set its footprint there in the Nineties. Vittal Mallya Road has evolved as Bangalore’s Rodeo Drive, which attracts high value shoppers. It may have an upscale interpretation, but one can’t overlook its history.

It was once known as Grant Road and renamed Vittal Mallya Road in memory of the former chairman of United Breweries in the Eighties. During the British Raj, the area was part of the Cantonment and was then known as Maciver (Maclver) Town. Grant Road extended from Bishop Cotton Girls School to the then Tiffany Circle and along Sampangi Tank. Things changed when the Kanteerava Stadium was built on the tank.

Today Vittal Mallya Road boasts of having Captain Gopinath among its residents. As Grant Road, it was home to Kiran Mazumdar, whose father worked in UB. Even Vijay Mallya is believed to have spent some years there.

Gradually colonial houses were replaced by stylish glass-chrome buildings. However, there are traces of heritage homes like Lenarc, a two-storied bungalow with a wrought iron gate.

Though Bangalore had few restaurants, Vittal Mallya Road was the platform for three eating places, housed in colonial bungalows, each styled differently. Like Shilton Hotel, Bombay Ananda Bhavan and the Chinese restaurant Nanking which was then famous.

Apparently its owner cooked for Pandit Nehru.

Today the road is marred by potholes. Fireflies, the Mediterranean restaurant has suffered due to the present condition of the road. “We launched the restaurant two months ago and around 50 per cent of our business has been affected. We chose the place because of the prime location and hope to do better when the infrastructure improves,” explained Jose George, executive chef, Fireflies.

Things deteriorated until BBMP and the Prestige-UB Group arrived at a private-public partnership to repair the road. A 220 KDA line is also being accommodated.

The road is being upgraded with a 300mm thick reinforced concrete pavement. The work has been done by TJ Naik Construction Company and the design and construction management is by Invicus. Incidentally the trunk drain cuts across Vittal Mallya Road and goes into Kanteerava Stadium. The work began last year and is expected to be completed this month.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 April 2010 09:39

HMDA prepares to speed up work

Tuesday, 06 April 2010 05:17 administrator

Deccan Chronicle 06.04.2010

HMDA prepares to speed up work

April 6th, 2010

DC Correspondent

Tags: actor Murali Mohan, B.P. Acharya, commissioner, HMDA, Huda, Jayabheri Properities, outer ring road, Supreme court

Hyderabad, April 5: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), formerly Huda, has finally won a legal battle over Jayabheri Properties owned by actor Murali Mohan in the Supreme Court. Decks have now been cleared for the construction of Outer Ring Road in the Patancheru-Narsingi-Shamshabad-Bo-nguluru-Peddammberpet stretch. The HMDA commissioner, Mr B.P. Acharya, while congratulating the officials, has asked them to speed up the works.

The controversy began in 2005-06 when Murali Mohan had objected to the decision of the ORR alignment committee alleging that the civic body violated environmental rules to destroy a water body near Narsingi for the construction of ORR. The then ORR project director, Mr Peeyush Kumar, who is now the collector of Krishna district, had made it clear that there was no natural water body in Narsingi area. The ORR officials argued that Jayabheri Properties was trying to avoid land acquisition in nearby area by raising the issue of water body.

With the filing of cases, court had ordered an inquiry by the Central Water Commission, which in turn identified that there was indeed a water body at the location. Huda officials however said the water body was created to stop the ORR project. The government even suspended an irrigation official who had allegedly favoured Jayabheri by saying that a “private waterbody” existed. The HMDA won the case in the High Court and the petitioner then filed an SLP in Supreme Court.

More Articles...