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Urban Encroachment

Armed with list of encroachments on footpaths, civic body to begin evictions

Wednesday, 27 February 2013 07:04 administrator
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The Hindu                              27.02.2013

Armed with list of encroachments on footpaths, civic body to begin evictions

Staff Reporter 

The Chennai Corporation will start removing encroachments on pedestrian facilities based on a list submitted by the Traffic Police.

At a meeting of the sub-committee on infrastructure improvement and promotion of non-motorised transport chaired by the Chennai Corporation Commissioner on Tuesday, the traffic police submitted the list of encroachments that have emerged as bottlenecks to pedestrian movement.

As a step towards removal of encroachments, traffic police officials had initiated a survey of all the encroachments on footpaths along bus routes and interior roads a few months ago.

The recommendation to remove encroachments on footpaths was made at the first meeting of the sub-committee last year.

The State government had constituted such sub-committees to help shape the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA).

Even though the civic body had given a deadline of two weeks for completion of the survey, the delay in convening the next meeting emerged a stumbling block for any encroachment-removal drive.

The sub-committee has representatives from traffic police, Highways Department and agencies such as Chennai City Connect.

Non-motorised transport

According to officials, the discussion of the sub-committee on Tuesday also focussed on steps to be taken towards enhancement of operations of the non-motorised transport.

“The Chennai Corporation officials will design infrastructure for non-motorised transport and prepare estimates for such infrastructure including bicycle tracks. The timelines have been fixed for many pilot projects,” said a member of the committee.

Estimates for many such pilot projects are likely to be readied before the next meeting of the sub-committee in March.

The civic body will study the bus routes where new bus bays are needed to support the plans of Metropolitan Transport Corporation to augment fleet.

New bus bays

New bus bays and depots will soon be designed and commissioned in many parts of the city.

The Chennai Corporation will also identify roads for non-motorised transport particularly around metro stations and MRTS stations with the support of Traffic Police, Highways Department and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.

Following a survey, the traffic police identified such structures along bus routes and interior roads

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 07:06
 

‘Prevent individuals from usurping public land’

Tuesday, 26 February 2013 07:24 administrator
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The Hindu                              26.02.2013

‘Prevent individuals from usurping public land’

Action sought:The common land at Ganapathy in the city, which North Zone chairman P. Rajkumar said was being usurped by certain individuals for private use.— PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN
Action sought:The common land at Ganapathy in the city, which North Zone chairman P. Rajkumar said was being usurped by certain individuals for private use.— PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN.

The Coimbatore Corporation North Zone chairman P. Rajkumar has requested the district administration to prevent some individuals from usurping a piece of public land in Ganapathy here.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader submitted a petition to Collector M. Karunagaran during the public grievance meeting held at the Collectorate on Monday.

In his petition, he said that in 46{+t}{+h}ward coming under his zone, a piece of vacant land measuring 1,740 sq.m., located adjacent to the Lord Vinayaka Temple, was registered to the Commissioner of Coimbatore Corporation.

It was used as a temple land since the Ganapathy village was formed and later used as a choultry before being converted into a bazaar for Sunday markets. After the market was shifted due to traffic hassles, the land had been lying vacant and was used by the common public for general purposes.

However, recently some individuals had prepared a “forged document” converting the public land into private property and had obtained favourable court orders also.

They had also allegedly tried to fence it after getting the TSLR (Town Survey Land Records) number.

Mr. Rajkumar urged the Collector to initiate stringent action against those found violating the law in this regard.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 07:28
 

Corporation begins drive to clear Coimbatore off illegal hoardings

Saturday, 16 February 2013 10:41 administrator
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The Times of India                        16.02.2013

Corporation begins drive to clear Coimbatore off illegal hoardings

COIMBATORE: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the city, the municipal corporation has come down heavily on the illegal hoardings and advertising signs that have been nailed to roadside trees or been obstructing traffic. The civic body had issued a notice with respect to the move. February 15 was set as the deadline for the advertisers and owners of the firm that will be the deadline for the voluntarily removing these illegal banners.

However, seeing no move made by the owners till Saturday afternoon, the corporation officials were deployed at various parts of the city to remove these hoardings. Workers were found near Kalapatti and Vilankurichi on Friday evening where numerous commercial signboards mainly for real estate projects and education institutions are found on either sides of the street.

"The move will intensify in the coming days," said a corporation employee deployed at Vilankurichi Road on Friday.

In its notification, the corporation had said that an FIR will be filed against the advertiser, owner of the rented premises and even owner of the product or firm being advertised as per section 480 (I) of Coimbatore municipal corporation Act. As per the act, one could be imprisoned for a year and also be penalised to the tune of Rs 10,000 or both.

The illegal hoardings are a major revenue loss for the corporation as they do not come under the tax ambit of the civic body. "We are focussing on the main roads especially at busy traffic signals and also near Avinashi flyover. We are also focussing on some of the newly-added areas also," said S Sivarasu, commissioner (In Charge), Coimbatore municipal corporation.

While some of the hoardings were removed from Avinashi road, numerous scheme roads and inner lanes are still littered with illegal advertisements erected on telephone poles, trees and buildings, both public and private. Vilankurichi road and routes in Kalapatti are littered with advertisement signs especially of real estate firms that have put up signboards leading to their housing projects.

The corporation officials claimed that they are yet to compile a list of illegal hoardings and banners in their limits. But it is being estimated that there are over 300 illegal hoardings in the core city area alone.
Last Updated on Saturday, 16 February 2013 10:44
 
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