The Hindu         01.11.2014 

 BBMP can operate wet waste processing unit at Mandur from Dec. 1

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday permitted the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to operate a wet waste processing unit near Mandur landfill, after dumping of garbage is stopped from December 1.

A Division Bench comprising Justice N. Kumar and Justice B.V. Nagarathna said the unit at Mandur can process waste from Mahadevapura Assembly constituency and if possible, waste from the adjoining areas as well.

The Bench, however, made it clear that there shall not be any dumping of waste at Mandur landfill from December 1 as promised by the Chief Minister. The Bench passed the order while hearing PIL petitions about the city’s garbage problem. Pointing out that if waste cannot be dumped at Mandur then it cannot be dumped in any other part the city, and hence there is an urgent need to set up wet processing units across the city.

Meanwhile, the Bench also said that the issue over operating a wet waste processing unit at Mavallipura landfill should be resolved and the unit, with an initial capacity to process 90 tonnes of waste, should commence at the earliest.

Referring to the objection of the Indian Air Force on garbage being taken to Mavallipura, the Bench made it clear that it was not permitting a landfill at Mavallipura.

The court also made it clear to Ramky group, which will operate the processing unit, to cover the unit within a week, while observing that it would ask the BBMP to operate the unit if the company failed to discharge its function properly.

The Hindu        31.10.2014 

Parking rate hike deferred

Parking rates in North and South Delhi will increase from November 1, but charges in East Delhi will stay put at Rs.10 for cars and Rs.7 for two-wheelers for now.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee on Thursday postponed a proposal to hike car parking charges to Rs.20 for the first hour and Rs.50 for up to three hours. The North and South Delhi municipal corporations, however, have notified the increase in rates from November 1, Saturday. The new rates in North Delhi will be Rs.20 for the first hour and Rs.10 for each subsequent hour for cars. In South Delhi, the car parking charges will be Rs.20 per hour, with a cap of Rs.100 per day.

EDMC Leader of the House Ram Narayan Dubey said: “The North and South civic bodies have different rates. So we want to discuss the issue with officials of both corporations as well as our party’s State leadership to make the confusion less.” Mr. Dubey added that the EDMC leadership would meet Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay and officers of the North and South civic bodies on Friday. The final proposal will be brought before the Standing Committee before being sent to the House on November 17.