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Cyclone predicting systems to come up in state

Monday, 13 December 2010 12:11 administrator
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The New Indian Express  13.12.2010

Cyclone predicting systems to come up in state

HYDERABAD: To predict cyclones early and create awareness among farmers, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is planning to set up a Cyclone Risk Mitigation system in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh in the near future, said Marri Shashidhar Reddy, vice-chairman of NDMA.

After taking charge as the vicechairman of NDMA, Shashidhar Reddy paid rich tributes to his father and former chief minister Marri Chenna Reddy at Chenna Reddy’s ghat in Indira Park.

Speaking to mediapersons, Reddy said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has agreed to sanction Rs 650 crore to set up a Cyclone Risk Mitigation system in coastal areas of the state to track the details of early monsoon and cyclone movements.

“The system will run with huge staff members, with approximately 1,000 experts working on meteorological issues to find out early cyclones.

The UPA government has consented to allocate Rs 650 crore from the World Bank funds to the state,” he added.

He said that the meteorological departments in the state would issue authentic weather forecast for smooth flight operations.

Besides, there was a need to install more radars in various coastal locations to predict ensuing calamities and protect denizens. Reddy said that more Doppler Weather Radars (DWR) were being installed at the weather department as part of a major modernisation programme undertaken by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

“The radar will pick up more accurate information about the turbulence and wind speed of the atmosphere before a cyclone or heavy shower. It will be able to predict the quantity of rainfall, and also the precipitation intensity, early detection of thunderstorms that may bring large hail, heavy rain, strong winds and tornados,” he added.

Earlier, Sashidhar Reddy also garlanded the Rajiv Gandhi statue at Charminar and offered prayers at Yousuf Baba Darga in Nampally.

Last Updated on Monday, 13 December 2010 12:13
 

PCMC to pull down illegal structures with police help

Monday, 13 December 2010 08:18 administrator
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The Times of India      13.12.2010

PCMC to pull down illegal structures with police help

PUNE: Weighed down by encroachments on plots reserved for civic amenities in the development plan, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will take the help of the police to remove them.

Growing urbanisation and rapid expansion of Pimpri-Chinchwad has spawned many encroachments. The civic body's survey, conducted a few months ago, has revealed that there are over 15,000 encroachments on 1,119 lands reserved in the DP.

Of the total 15,058 encroachments, 5,952 are on plots already acquired. The remaining 8,511 stand on land that has to be acquired. The PCMC has taken measures to prevent new encroachments and now wants the police to help remove the rest.

Special beat officers have been appointed to report any new encroachment. These beat inspectors at the ward level monitor any land-grabbing coming up in their areas. Municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma said all information about the encroachments has been given to the police department. "Beat officers have now been given specific areas, and have been assigned the task to report new encroachments," he added.

The civic body already has 21 police personnel including a police inspector, two sub-inspectors, and constables are working with the anti-encroachment department. Citizens also complain about land-grabbing in their areas. Minor encroachments are removed at the zonal level. The big ones have to be removed by the engineering department.

Corporators and civic activists have blamed the civic administration for not taking effective measures to preventing the encroachments. Sulabha Ubale, leader of Shiv Sena corporators, said that the civic body had no plan to effectively tackle the growing problem. "The PCMC should increase manpower and machinery of anti-encroachment department. It pays the salaries of the policemen deputed for the squad but it is not able to fully utilise their services to remove the encroachments. The beat officers are not effective. Moreover, there is no action even if the civic body is informed about the new encroachments coming up in various areas. Zonal officers have been assigned the task to take action against encroachments but they are not effective in controlling the encroachments," she said.

Another Shiv Sena leader Ashok Sonavane said, "The civic body should have acquired the plots reserved in the DP soon after it was approved. But it has neglected this work and now there are encroachments on reserved plots. There is no proper plan to develop the reservations in a time-bound manner. The civic anti-encroachment squad is ineffective in taking action against the encroachments."

Manav Kamble, president of Nagari Hakka Suraksha Samiti said, "Encroachments are not good for the safety of the city. The anti-encroachment squad should remove the encroachments when they are in the initial stages of construction. This will reduce public anger which increases when constructions are complete and occupied by people. The local corporator, zonal officer and city engineer should be held responsible for the encroachments in a ward."
 

Civic body awaits govt nod for police station to deal with illegal structures

Monday, 13 December 2010 08:17 administrator
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The Times of India          13.12.2010

Civic body awaits govt nod for police station to deal with illegal structures

PUNE: An urban police station and police chowkeys to act on growing complaints about unauthorised constructions and encroachments in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits have not come up.

Municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma said that the plan to set up a police station and more police chowkeys was awaiting the state government's approval. "We sent it a year ago and have still not received the approval," he said.

The proposal to set up such police stations was mooted by the state government two years ago considering that urban local bodies are short of manpower and executive powers to take effective action against activities that cause nuisance to citizens.

The broad areas the police would take action include unauthorised constructions, encroachments, illegal parking, and debris dumping. The government had also mooted separate courts to conduct trials related to such offences. The PCMC would need the state government's approval for the manpower for the police station and chowkeys.

As per the plan, there would be one police station in Pimpri-Chinchwad, and four police chowkeys-- one each in the four PCMC zones. While the police station will be headed by an officer of the rank of the inspector, the police chowkeys will have sub-inspectors and other duty officers. A total of 40 new posts will have to be created. In addition, PCMC would have to provide them the required offices and vehicles.

The state government had issued a Government Resolution (GR) in March 2009 to all municipal corporations and municipal councils to set up urban police stations and police chowkeys to take action against encroachments.

The government had asked the civic bodies to send a report listing the number of police stations, chowkeys and the new posts that would have to be created. The expenditure for the new posts would be borne by the municipal corporation.

The urban police station would work under administrative control of the municipal corporation. The PCMC has already sent its report to the government along with the resolution approved by the general body for creating the new urban police station.

 
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