The Hindu               28.06.2013

Remove encroachments, traders told

Staff Reporter

The Karur Municipality has directed the lessee traders and vendors in the Muthukumarasamy Bus Stand here to remove forthwith all encroachments that impeded free movement of commuters and public. If not, the encroaching items will be impounded without any warning, the errant traders have been cautioned.

The municipality warning to traders comes in the wake of the sudden inspection undertaken by District Collector S. Jayandhi at the Muthukumarasamy Bus Stand recently. During the inspection, she noted that offending traders and vendors were occupying the space meant for free movement of the public and commuters along the bus bays.

The Collector then directed the Karur Municipality officials to remove the encroachments that impeded movement of public in the bus stand. She had urged the civic body officials to keep the bus stand tidy and clean, free from encroachments of any kind. Following that the municipality officials have directed the errant traders and vendors who had displayed their wares even outside their shop area to the discomfiture of the passengers and public. They have asked the offending vendors to voluntarily remove the encroachments besides warning that if they failed to adhere to the warning the articles would be confiscated without any warning.

Complaint would be filed with the police and eviction would follow, Commissioner (in charge) L. Gopalakrishnan said. Moreover, the civic body had banned the entry of two-wheelers into the bus stand as they were parked haphazardly hindering movement of buses.

The Times of India              27.06.2013

Solar panels made mandatory for upcoming buildings in Madurai

MADURAI: The Madurai Corporation has planned to make it mandatory for new residential, commercial and educational institutions buildings to install solar panels to help reduce the burden on the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco).

According to a resolution passed in the corporation council, the new buildings should satisfy the solar power production requirements along with clearance from local body authorities. The corporation's move is to meet a certain quantity of electricity needs of the building and ultimately to bring down the burden on Tangedco, as well as to support clean energy production.

The plan would make solar power generation mandatory in buildings that are to be constructed henceforth. The approval for the building would be provided only after satisfying the solar power production norms. The council members have unanimously approved the resolution at the council meeting held on Wednesday.

R Nanthagopal, commissioner, Madurai Corporation said, "Government is very keen on the implementation of solar power installations in private as well as government buildings. The resolution would mandate the installation in the buildings that are to come up. It was passed in the council meeting based on instructions from the government."

M Rakkappan, chief town planning officer, Madurai Corporation said that the initiative was taken to encourage solar power production. Although a few commercial establishments in Madurai city have taken the initiative and installed solar panels, the participation from residential building owners is nil. This is because the installation of power panel requires big investment. To encourage the building owners, the corporation officials have urged the government to provide attractive incentives, he said.

During the council meeting, issues like inadequate supply of drinking water, increasing mosquito problem were also discussed. Most of the councillors complained about the damaged water pipeline in their areas which has led to inadequate water supply. They also urged the mayor to take immediate action to replace the damaged pipelines to ensure smooth supply of drinking water. The mayor, who paid heed to the demand, assured the councillors to replace the old water connections with new ones in a phased manner.

Increasing mosquito menace was another major complaint by the councillors. They said that city health officials have reduced down the frequency of fogging in the recent months which had led to breeding of mosquitoes in the city. V Yasodhamani, city health officer, Madurai corporation, assured the councillors that fogging operations would be intensified in the city limits.