The Hindu  01.12.2010

Century-old markets to get facelift

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Piece of history:Mandi Market, constructed in 1890, is one of the three markets in Mysore that will be restored.

MYSORE: Devaraja Market, Vani Vilas Market and Mandi Market here, all with a history of over a century, are to be rebuilt and restored.

On Tuesday, the Mysore City Corporation Council gave its approval to the project that aims to restore the buildings to their original glory.

Constructed in 1890, Mandi Market served the old city areas, including Nazarbad, while Vani Vilas Market, constructed more than 125 years ago, served residents of K.R. Mohalla, Fort Mohalla, Agrahara, Lakshmipuram and surrounding places.

The biggest of the three, Devaraja Market, is located in the heart of the city. Built in 1886, it continues to be popular with both locals and tourists. Full of the traditional flavour of the Mysore region, this market is renowned for its vegetable, fruit and flower stalls, as well as the small shops selling traditional ingredients. A must-visit for tourists, Devaraja Market provides the perfect photo-opportunity and has been featured in most travel guides as representing the essence of Mysore.

However, the markets are now in a dilapidated state, and risk collapse without restoration work. There have been many false starts in the repair work at Devaraja Market, but with the council's decision, it may regain some of its grandeur from the era of the Maharajas.

The Times of India         01.12.2010

Four new flyovers to open soon

 AHMEDABAD: The four new flyovers, including one at Gota and the Parimal underpass shall be thrown open for public by the end of December. These, said municipal authorities, will smoothen traffic flow in many parts of the city.

Municipal Commissioner IP Gautam talking to reporters on Tuesday said that the four flyovers — located at Gota, Ladlapir in Shahibaugh, flower market in Jamalpur and Soni-ni-Chawl alongside the Naroda-Narol highway — and the Parimal underpass will be completed in December. Gautam added that the first to be inaugurated will be the Gota flyover. This, he said, will be functional in another 15 days. He added that three more flyovers — one each at Vatva GIDC, CTM crossroads and Thakkar Bapananar — Kubernagar underpass will get operational by end of the financial year.

The civic body set a record of sorts by completing digging work at the critical part of the Parimal Garden railway underpass in just seven days. The construction of this underpass, which is on the Ahmedabad-Botad railway line, was a challenge for the AMC as there was always a fear of earth caving in, resulting in a major accident.

Five labourers had already lost their lives in November last year while digging on this site, when the earth caved in. AMC then took expert advice from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and then Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) boxes were constructed below the railway line. Usually, construction of the underpass, in the railway limit, with the traditional 'box-pushing' method takes about four to six months.