The Hindu       09.11.2010

Fresh survey for Kukatpally stormwater drain

HYDERABAD: The GHMC is going for a fresh survey of one of the main stormwater drains, the Kukatpally drain, following protests from the local people that the ‘alignment' of the water body has changed over the years.

The Town Planning wing has been entrusted with the task of finalising the alignment, said Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) P. Panduranga Rao. The issue is symptomatic of various issues dogging a long standing plan for a decade to modernise storm water drains criss-crossing the twin cities. Encroachments on the drains or alongside them have led to narrowing of water channels causing flooding in different parts whenever it rains.

The GHMC's renewed efforts to repair and remodel the storm water drains has been painfully slow for the works have been divided into 15 packages and allotted three months ago.

This was despite funds being released, hydrological studies conducted, plans made ready, estimates prepared and structural compensation reports filed. The main issue is reluctance of people living on or alongside the drains to relocate. Of the 2,000-odd encroachments listed, only 500 have been removed with some of them moved to newly built houses for the poor.

“There is a minimum mark within which we cannot reduce the drain widths prescribed. But, unless the people affected and the public representatives cooperate, we cannot take up the work,” Dr. Rao, is candid. The required width is usually marked from the centre of the water body.

Modernisation plans have been prepared based on the flood levels expected once in five years, but public representatives are seeking levels be marked for floods expected once in a year.

The Centre had sanctioned Rs.142 crore in 2006 under the JNNURM for four major nalas like Muriki nala, Kukatpally nala, Picket nala and Balkapur channel, which empty into Hussainsagar, and another Rs. 124 crore in 2008 for widening of secondary nalas like Nagamaiah Kunta nala, Punjagutta nala, Yellareddyguda nala and Yousufguda nala.

Of the 31.27-km stretch of repairs proposed on the major drains like Murki, Kukatpally and Balkapur drains, work was done on 10.47-km stretch spending Rs. 51.55 crore with half the amount coming from JNNURM under the 35 per cent grant. State contributes 15 per cent and GHMC 50 per cent. The Mission's sanctioned grant is released only when work utilisation certificates are issued, he pointed out.

The ENC said tenders are being called for works for about Rs.91 crore. Repairs are to begin soon on Yousufguda, Yellareddyguda, Banjara Hills and Kalasiguda while they were in progress in Dandu Mansion, Gandhinagar and Nagamaiahkunta drains. A design consultant is looking into the Picket nala widening.

The Times of India                   08.11.2010

NMC to serve pedestrians with FoBs

NAGPUR: "If a motorist errs on the road, the police book him or her for violating traffic rules and regulations. But what happens if a person is jaywalking? It is such pedestrians who cause many road accidents and get away scot free," said a motorist.

Motorists and pedestrians feel that traffic in busy areas and roads can be streamlined by constructing foot-over-bridges (FoBs), skywalks and subways. NMC's standing committee chairman Sandeep Joshi had also announced that the NMC would construct skywalks but so far nothing has happened.

Now, Joshi has stated that in the first week of December the NMC would float tenders to construct 22 FOBs at busy stretches, market areas and even near shopping malls. It has also allocated Rs 5 crores in the proposed annual budget of 2010-11 for this purpose and it would be constructed on build-operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

It remains to be seen if this actually happens or if the NMC is waiting a catastrophe to happen before taking any decision. Many a times the corporation makes bombastic statements and it dies down even without a whimper. The FoBs, skywalks and subways are a must in a city like Nagpur where the population is increasing with each passing day.

Traffic at important junctions has progressively deteriorated and one of the reason is the number of jaywalkers. A traffic head constable, who is deputed at Variety Square, admitted that jaywalking was rampant at Variety Square and Rani Jhansi Square.

He wondered why people with good knowledge of using zebra crossings refuse to cross the road at the designated points. "Pedestrians ignore the rules and walk anywhere on the road, thus putting the lives of motorists at risk," the constable added.

A senior PI admitted that many stop lines and zebra crossings on city roads have faded away and the NMC has not seen the necessity to redo them. He said the police has asked the corporation to complete the work soon.

He also said that the department has received complaints about people jumping medians also. To avoid such violations, the traffic police have installed steel barricades at Variety Square. "This has been done to stop people from crossing the road haphazardly," said another traffic cop.

However, the efforts of the traffic police department and the Road Safety Patrol volunteers, who have frequently organized awareness programmes for pedestrians to use zebra crossing, have fallen on deaf ears.

Motorists have suggested that the NMC should select a dozen locations where heavy traffic causes inconvenience to pedestrians and where jaywalking is the order for constructing skywalks or FOBs. According to them, Variety Square, Rani Jhansi square, Maharajbagh Road, North Ambazari Road, Agrasen Chowk, Gandhiputla Chowk, Panchsheel Square, Janta Chowk, on Residency Road (Sadar) must have skywalks or FOBs. Some pedestrians have also asked for skywalks in Variety Square connecting Rani Jhansi Square and Lohapool Square.

"Skywalks are required to ensure pedestrian safety," said Rajesh Morone, a resident of Sakkardara. At present, pedestrians neither use zebra crossing nor do they use footpaths, pointed out Sheetal Surve a motorist and a resident of Giripeth.

Software professional Pramod Shende feels that jaywalking was a serious threat to the safety of the general public. With traffic on many important roads increasing manifold, jaywalking is a big threat. "Pedestrians obstruct movement of vehicles not only on the main road, but also at junctions," he said.

Proposed sites

Variety square (from Cinemax to Sitabuldi Police station), Jhansi Rani square (Hindi Mor Bhavan to Sanskrutik Sankul building) and (Salpekar Petrol Pump to Naivaidyam Hotel), Ganeshpeth bus stand (Bus stand to Shetkari Bhavan), Munje Square, near Itwari post office, near Sudama Talkies (West High Court road), WHC Road (Shankar Nagar Petrol Pump to Saraswati High School, Khamla Road (Sheetala Mata Mandir to Sindhi Colony), Wardha Road (Chhatrapati square bus stand to Adidas showroom), (Sai Mandir to Sukhakarta Hotel) and Rajiv Gandhi statue to Neeri Compound, Amravati Road (GS College to Deshmukh Building), Kamptee Road (Kasturchand Park to Satkar Guest House), Shrimohini Complex to Bank of India Building, opposite Ajni Railway station, Katol Road, opposite Anand Bhandar, Mayo Hospital (Chandralok Building to Hotel Shiv Raj, Central Avenue (Agrasen Bhavan to Amin Mossan Building) and Reserve Bank Square (Indian Oil Pump to Vidhan Bhavan).