The Hindu           22.09.2014 

Mysore palace declared ‘plastic-free’ zone

Authorities have begun cracking down on tourists carrying plastics into the Mysore palace, as it has been declared as a “plastic-free zone”.

All visitors to the palace are being frisked for water bottles and plastic covers, which are confiscated to ensure that the premises is free of plastic.

This is part of ongoing efforts to make places of tourist interest “plastic free”.

M.V. Sudha, one of the nodal officers of the campaign and an official of the Mysore City Corporation, said that even vendors near the palace premises dealing with memorabilia have been advised against packing their products in plastic covers. “In the run-up to Dasara, the corporation led by Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath raided a few wholesale dealers and manufacturing units,” she added.

Besides declaring the palace plastic-free, the Scouts and Guides Grounds, which is the venue of the Dasara Ahara Mela, will be plastic-free. Organisers have been directed to provide only paper cups and plates.

The biggest challenge confronting authorities is at Chamundi Hills, which has a steady stream of visitors throughout the day.

Queue system

However, Ms. Sudha said that since the entry was through queue system, it was easy to ensure that plastic was not carried into the temple premises or dumped around it. The long-term objective is to ensure that all places of tourist interest in and around Mysore are plastic-free, she added.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board intends to make all tourist destinations and pilgrim centres free of plastic not only during Dasara but in the future as well.

Notices have been put up to inform tourists that the venue is a plastic-free zone.

Biggest challenge is Chamundi Hills, which has a steady stream of visitors

The Hindu       22.09.2014 

Shimoga City Corporation prepares scheme to utilise conservancy lanes

The Shimoga City Corporation has prepared a detailed project report on how to utilise the conservancy lanes to provide civic amenities like parking slots and constructing shops to accommodate street vendors.

There are 176 conservancy lanes in Shimoga and their total length is 70 km. It is a known fact that many multi-storeyed buildings have been constructed in the city by violating the norms related to construction in a flagrant manner. As many such buildings have not reserved space for parking, the vehicles are being parked in a haphazard manner along Nehru Road, and roads in Tilak Nagar, Durgigudi and other commercial areas, resulting in traffic jams. The street vendors operating in Shimoga have compounded the problem.

To address this issue, a food court was developed in the conservancy lane between Durgigudi and Tilak Nagar locality here in November 2011. The mobile canteens operating along the Kamala Nehru College Road were shifted to the food court. The shifting of the mobile canteens resulted in the free flow of vehicles there. The project evoked good response from the owners of mobile canteens and the general public. Another conservancy lane adjacent to Tilak Nagar has been developed into a parking slot, which is likely to become operational shortly.

Encouraged by the response the food court had evoked, the city corporation has planned to convert other conservancy lanes into parking slots in commercial areas of the city, where the traffic density is high. It has been planned to convert conservancy lanes in Tilak Nagar, Park Extension, Durgigudi and Gandhi Nagar into taxi stands.

A.R. Ravi, Commissioner of city corporation, said that public-private partnership model would be adopted to develop the conservancy lanes. A private jewellery outlet operating in Savarlane has come forward to join hands with the city corporation in developing a conservancy lane here into a parking slot. In future, the city corporation wants to construct stalls in the conservancy lanes and shift street vendors engaged in selling fruits and vegetables there.

The rent collected from the occupants of these stalls and the fee collected at parking slots would be used for the maintenance of these facilities, he added.

During a recent visit of Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake to Shimoga, members of the city corporation had submitted a memorandum to him, requesting the State government to release grants for the development of conservancy lanes.

The Minister had responded positively for the request. He also visited the food court in the conservancy lane between Durgigudi and Tilak Nagar locality and expressed happiness over the facilities there.

No space reserved in multi-storeyed buildings in the commercial areas in Shimoga

Public-private partnership model likely to be adopted in the development of conservancy lanes