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BMC puts onus of structural stability on builders, makes approvals more stringent

Monday, 17 February 2014 09:12 administrator
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The Indian Express            17.02.2014

BMC puts onus of structural stability on builders, makes approvals more stringent

A spate of recent building collapses has thrown light on the lack of structural stability of buildings in the city. 

In a bid to shift the onus of structural stability of a building on developers, Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte has made building proposal approvals more stringent. Builders will now have to ensure that precautionary measures are in place during designing, construction and maintenance of a proposed building.

“Building proposals will be approved if all underground structural members are designed considering the effect of chlorinated water, sulphur water, seepage water… Due care while constructing the same should be taken and a completion certificate shall be insisted on before granting further certificate of commencement (CC) beyond the plinth from the licensed structural engineers,” says a February 4, 2014, circular issued by the office of municipal commissioner.

Civic officials said the “chances of building collapses often increase as the foundation of a structure is not as per the required structural stability measures. Underground water from drains might corrode the reinforced cement concrete (RCC) beams, which is the foundation of a building”.

Developers and architects, however, argue that such a directive is not foolproof.

“Various civic infrastructure such as storm water drains and sewage lines are damaged due to infrastructure work, causing seepage, which can affect a particular building. Also, while a building can ensure structural stability at the underground level, this exercise is useless if the neighbouring building has seepage problems,” said Shirish Sukhatme, president of the Practising Engineers Architects and Town Planners Association (PEATA).

A spate of recent building collapses has thrown light on the lack of structural stability of buildings in the city. In the Aftab Manzil collapse in June last year, which claimed 10 lives, the builder had made illegal alterations on the ground floor, including removal of beams and columns. In yet another case, an illegal building in Mumbra, which was constructed without any structural stability design, collapsed like a pack of cards killing 61 people in April last year.
 

JNNURM approves project reports of Rs 95 crore for water network in Surat

Monday, 17 February 2014 07:48 administrator
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The Times of India          17.02.2014

JNNURM approves project reports of Rs 95 crore for water network in Surat

SURAT: In what could be considered as their last meeting before the present term of central government comes to an end Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable mission (JNNURM) has approved detailed project reports (DPR) worth Rs 95 crore for setting up water networks in old and new city areas of Surat.

Not only new DPR for water network was approved but also final portion of grant money allotted for BRTS network in the city amounting to Rs 58.62 crore was also paid up by JNNURM.

Under the new DPR, the plan is made to provide water by setting up a network of 56 km covering areas like Vesu, Palanpur, Pal and new areas of Athwa and Rander zone. 18 km network would be set up for old city areas and remaining will be in new city areas. 12 new over head water tanks would be set up and three water treatment plants of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) would be used. Pipelines would be set in 56 km area to supply water to 2.90 lakh people.

The population of this area at present is about 3 lakh and it is likely to be more than 11 lakh by 2044. SMC is making this provision looking at projected population of 11 lakh people in 2044. 

 

Piled-up trash to be moved to garbage depot in next 2 days

Monday, 17 February 2014 07:45 administrator
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The Times of India          17.02.2014

Piled-up trash to be moved to garbage depot in next 2 days

PUNE: Garbage containers continued to carry accumulated trash from different parts of the city to the landfill site in Phursungi-Uruli and processing plants at Ramtekdi in Hadapsar on Sunday. Officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said they would clear the piled-up waste in the next two days.

Garbage lifting resumed on Saturday night after residents of Uruli Devachi and Phursungi villages gave their conditional permission to dump waste at the landfill site till Wednesday. About 5,000 tonnes of garbage was lying around the city for the last two weeks after protesting villagers had stopped officials from bringing in waste at the garbage depot.

"More than 50 workers have been deployed and over 135 containers have been pressed into service to lift and take the garbage to the processing plants in Hadapsar and Uruli Devachi," a civic official said, on the condition of anonymity.

Early on Sunday morning, garbage containers lifted waste from core Peth areas, Aundh, Kothrud and Karvenagar. The focus was shifted to fringe areas after traffic flow increased. "We are going to intensify the work at night. We aim to lift most of the garbage at night. Waste accumulated in Mandai and adjoining areas will also be cleared," the official said.

NCP president Sharad Pawar had convened a meeting of villagers, PMC officials and corporators on Saturday to find a way out of the deadlock. "We will meet again on Wednesday. I have asked the civic administration to prepare a draft on what steps it will take to find a concrete solution to the garbage problem," Pawar had said after the meeting.

 
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