Urban Encroachment

Stop digging roads by April 30: Civic body

Saturday, 27 March 2010 09:06 administrator

Hindustan Times 27.03.2010

Stop digging roads by April 30: Civic body

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a notice asking agencies to stop the excavation of city roads by April 30 to ensure that commuting during the monsoon is not a hassle for Mumbaiites.

Keeping in mind ongoing construction of the monorail, metro, skywalks and flyovers, the civic body has asked the agencies building these to stop excavation by April 30 and to bring the work to a safe stage by May 10.

The notice encompasses any kind of digging, repairing and widening roadwork and also takes into account the skywalk projects that Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation are currently working on.

In the notice the civic body's stated that excavated roads get waterlogged during monsoon and add to traffic congestion. "Already the city has to face a lot of traffic jams due to the ongoing work. If this is continued in the monsoons, it will worsen the situation," said a civic official requesting anonymity.

The civic body has made a budget allocation to fix potholes and uneven patches.

"A budget of Rs 40 crore has been set aside to fix potholes," said Swadheen Kshatriya, Municipal Commissioner. BMC has planned to install plaques outside every nullah that is being de-silted.

"The plaques will have information about the agency de-silting the nullah. It will also have the relevant number of people doing the work and the cumulative progress of the work," added Kshatriya.

"This is to ensure the work is carried out in a transparent way," said Additional Municipal R A Rajeev.

Rajeev added that the pumping station at Love Grove in Worli would be operational before monsoon.

Pumping stations provide high-powered pumps to help flush out floodwater from low-lying areas during high tide and sluice gates at the outfalls prevent seawater to come back into the city.

Last Updated on Saturday, 27 March 2010 09:14

Stephen Court: HC halts KMC demolition squad in its tracks

Friday, 26 March 2010 11:49 administrator

Indian Express 26.03.2010

Stephen Court: HC halts KMC demolition squad in its tracks

Express News Service Tags : Stephen Court demolition case, kolkata Posted: Friday , Mar 26, 2010 at 0159 hrs

Kolkata/Ranchi:

Hours after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation sent a demolition squad to raze the “illegal” floors in the Stephen Court at Park Street this morning, some residents procured a stay order from the Calcutta High Court, which said the municipal body would not carry out the demolition work without its permission.

Debraj Sharma and other residents of the Stephen Court alleged in their petition that the KMC suddenly started the demolition work at 4th, 5th and 6th floors after issuing a notice in the morning.

Justice Girish Chandra Gupta, who issued the stay order, wanted to know why the KMC started the demolition work in hurry saying the gutted portion should not be razed for the interest of the investigation. A total 64 families are residing at Stephen Court, 18 Park Street.

Earlier, the KMC’s demolition squad reached the spot around 11 am and began its work amid loud protests from residents who wanted to retrieve their belongings from their flats.

“We have important documents and records in our office. Our office is safe. We requested the police to let us go inside the office so that we can collect our documents. But we were not allowed,” said Rawat, who lost his elder daughter Shruti Bansal in Tuesday’s fire.

“I have lost my daughter along with 12 of my employees who were like my family. Three of my daughters used to work in this office in apartment number 5K, which we bought in 1991. We did not know the portion in which we run our office was illegally constructed. Shruti worked ceaselessly for this company and when the company made its own place in the market, Shruti left us. Now, our office is also gone,” said Rawat before he broke down.

We have all our belongings left in our apartment. We have been waiting since Tuesday night, but were not allowed to enter the premises. Now, the demolition squads have arrived. I fear all our belongings including jewellery will be looted. We want to retrieve our valuables,” said Debashish Guha Niyogi, who owns flat (6H) on 6th floor in 3rd block of the building.

As per KMC records, there are 67 flats in the block. Apparently, the residential flats in the block are not badly affected.

“We will demolish the affected potions that can collapse anytime. We will not demolish these before judging the strength of the structure,” said Debashish Kar, DG II, Building, KMC. “How can we allow them inside such premises that can collapse any time? The administration is not there to rob the people,” Kar said.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Ardhendhu Sewn later said the state government would file an appeal in the HC, asking it to lift the stay order. He said an inquiry commission will also be set up to probe into the fire incident in which 24 lives were lost.

Last Updated on Friday, 26 March 2010 11:59

Encroachments back in Panchkula markets

Monday, 22 March 2010 11:27 administrator

Indian Express 22.03.2010

Encroachments back in Panchkula markets

Express News Service Tags : encroachments, Panchkula markets Posted: Monday , Mar 22, 2010 at 2346 hrs

Panchkula: Encroachments are gradually blocking any available space at the sector markets of Panchkula. The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), however, is sleeping over the issue, said residents.

While the problem is common in most of the sector markets now, the worst affected are those of Sectors 6,7,9,10,11 and 15.

“While there was some improvement in the past, the problem has again started showing its ugly face. Besides occupying almost 95 per cent of the market corridors, these encroachments make shopping a torture. The worst hit is the Sector 7 market which has residents from almost all sectors visiting it during weekends. With these encroachments back, not even shopping, but also parking one’s vehicle becomes a problem”, said Sarika Mehta, a resident of Mansa Devi complex here.

Similar sentiments were echoed by a resident of Sector 14, Gaurav Singh, who said, “The authorities should certainly do something about the problem. My mother fell down and hurt herself due to these encroachments on the corridors of the markets here.”

A HUDA official said every time the encroachments are removed, they come back.

“The enforcement wing visits the markets to clear these encroachments, but they come back again. We’re now planning to hold regular anti-encroachment drives so that the encroachments can be done away with,” said a HUDA official

Last Updated on Monday, 22 March 2010 11:29

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