Think India Foundation

Short of land, UPJN to go for technology change for STPs

VARANASI: After failing to procure land for setting up sewage treatment plant based on Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Process technology at Sathwa, the Ganga Pollution Control unit of UP Jal Nigam (UPJN) is all set to switch over to 'combi-treat-improved sequential batch reactor' technology for the proposed STPs. This move aims at reducing the requirement of land as well as getting better results than the existing conventional technology of wastewater treatment.

Under the second phase of the Ganga Action Plan, the UPJN had proposed to create one STP of 120 MLD, sanctioned under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), at Sathwa in 2003. Later, the agency decided to establish one more STP of 140 MLD capacity, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), at the same venue. The land acquisition department was given Rs 3,545.35 lakh to acquire 43.537 hectare land of 408 farmers in 2010-11. However, due to the protest of farmers, the process could not be completed so far. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

It's time to stop being scared of nuclear power

Three places: Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima. And three more: Banqiao, Machhu II, Hiakud. Most people react with horror to the first trio, while the second three locations usually draw a blank look. In fact, the latter were the sites of three major hydroelectric dam failures: in China and India in 1975, 1979 and 1980, which were directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands. In contrast, the death toll directly associated with radiation exposure from the three best-known civil nuclear accidents is estimated by the World Health Organisation to be conservatively about 50, all associated with Chernobyl.

Nuclear power has had a pretty bad press recently. In the post-Fukushima world, major power companies such as the German-owned E.ON and RWE-npower have taken the decision not to invest in building new nuclear power stations in Britain, citing costs in the current economic climate. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Renewable energy offset increase in green house gas emissions

A new study released today shows that renewable energy has off set an increase in green house emissions in 2010. Were it not for renewable energy, green house gas would have increased towards the 1990 level. Although that was a European study, the same thing applies to the United States.

Renewable energy is off setting growth in green house gas emissions.

This reassuring news comes at a time when many politicians in Washington and many states are making life harder for developers of renewable energy projects and the companies that make solar panels and wind turbines. There is concern that Congress will not renew the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy. Recently, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission cut the amount of money that can be spent on solar energy from the renewable energy fund. Read more

Source : www.examiner.com

Sunderbans to get a joint check-post

KOLKATA: Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's possible meeting with Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, the ministry of home affairs has asked the Bengal government to set up an integrated check-post (ICP) in the Sunderbans. State officials have already been asked to implement the project. They are reading the MHA's diktat as a message to Mamata to enhance ties with Bangladesh, following the "disagreement" over Teesta water sharing.

Responding to the chief minister's plea, the Bangladesh government had sent tons of hilsa to West Bengal last week. It is clear that Mamata, too, is keen on maintaining good relations with the neighbour. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Green mission to restore forest cover in Shivalik hills

Chandigarh : Under the Centre’s Green India Mission, 2,154 villages located around Shivalik hills have been included in a prospective 10-year plan for Punjab in regard to conservation of the existing forest resources, plantation, regeneration degraded area as well as soil and moisture conservation. Satellite mapping is also being considered to keep a check on the progress of the mission.

As per the bridging plan released by the state forest department in a workshop on Green India Mission, on Wednesday, a total of 5,687 villages from Punjab will be brought under the conservation project. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com 

 

Panel removes green hurdle to coal mining

New Delhi : A ministerial panel, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, today decided to do away with the controversial “go, no go” classification of coal blocks and recommended conditional forest clearances to Reliance Power’s Chhatrasal and Essar-Hindalco’s Mahan coal mines in Madhya Pradesh.

Change in norms

The “go, no go” classification is estimated to have impacted 660 million tonnes of annual coal production. Read more

Source : www.telegraphindia.com

Say no to tobacco, yes to life!

BANGALORE: Tobacco is the biggest enemy of the public health today. It is not an exaggeration to make this statement. For, the effects of tobacco use, as we all know, are destructive and widespread. Not many know that tobacco is one of the primary causes of cancers and heart attacks. Many youngsters nowadays, in both cities and rural areas, are getting addicted to tobacco use in various forms, which in the long run have an adverse effect on health and life of the population.

According to a recent study conducted by the American Cancer Society, almost 30 percent of the Indian population in the age group of 15 years and above, use some form of tobacco. While the early forms of tobacco include chewing tobacco leaves, Ghutka and Beedis, Cigarettes, Cigars, Chillum and Hookahs are equally common, especially in the urban areas. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Garbage piles belie Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation tall claims

HYDERABAD: The city is gearing up for the conference on biodiversity in the next few months. Tall claims have been made to showcase Hyderabad as a world class city, but the truth is civic officials have not been able to address even basic issues.

Heaps of garbage and overflowing trash bins have been sticking out like a sore thumb in several parts of the city. Garbage is not being lifted in colonies on the pretext of non-availability of vehicles. The sad state of affairs dogs the city despite the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) spending over Rs 140 crore every year on transportation alone. The GHMC has recently decided to hire more vehicles to clear garbage mounds and overflowing bins. Purchase of new vehicles was stopped by the corporation a couple of years ago, especially after entering into an agreement with Ramky on the Integrated Solid Waste Management Project. As per the agreement, transportation of garbage will be entrusted to Ramky once the project becomes operational. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Solution to garbage crisis soon in Thiruvananthapuram : Ali

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Focus on setting up decentralised treatment plants

The State government will come up with a solution to the waste management crisis in the city ahead of the onset of monsoon, Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhy Ali said here on Wednesday.

A special Cabinet meeting, convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, will discuss the issue on Thursday, he said. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

 

Pourakarmikas in Bangalore get minimum wages

BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contract pourakarmikas were in a joyous mood after they received the cheques of minimum wages from Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday.

Each pourakarmika is entitled to a minimum wage of Rs 6,936 per month, but he/ she will receive Rs 5,054 per month after mandatory deductions. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

 

Rural India moves from hand pump to tapped water

The government has said that 90 per cent of all rural households in the country will be covered by tapped water system by 2022, as the focus now is shifted from the hand pump approach to the surface water supply system. Briefing the media after a two-day conference of state Ministers in charge of Rural Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said that at present only 35 per cent households in rural India has piped water system. He informed that while Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh have more than 80 per cent rural areas covered by tapped water supply, in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar less than 10 per cent areas are under the piped water scheme, as the focus in these North Indian states are more on hand pumps.

At present only 35 per cent households in rural India has piped water system 

Due to absence of electricity in rural and extremely backward areas, some states have demanded solar-energy based drinking water system, said Ramesh, adding that the centre has already approved installation of solar-based water system in 10,000 villages of 78 naxal-affected districts with an outlay of Rs540 crore and the project will be completed in 18 months. Read more

Source : www.constructionweekonline.in

Bhiwani, Narnaul to be considered as counter-magnet towns for NCR

CHANDIGARH: The Central government has agreed to examine the demand to include Bhiwani and Narnaul towns of Haryana in the NCR (national capital region) as counter magnet towns, state excise and taxation minister, Kiran Choudhry, said on Tuesday.

Speaking to The Times of India, Choudhry said she had recently written to Union urban development minister, Kamal Nath, in this regard and he has responded positively to her demand. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

Probiotics can reduce occurrence of diarrhoea

Probiotics when consumed regularly may be able to prevent many acute diarrhoea cases in children. In 2010, diarrhoea killed more than 210,000 children aged less than five years in India, The Lancet reported recently. The mortality figures were nearly 19,000 in neonates and 193,000 in children aged 1-59 months.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) describe probiotics as “microorganisms that exhibit beneficial health effects for hosts when a sufficient amount of them are ingested.” Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

 

Draft CAG report erroneous, benefits were available to all: GMR

New Delhi: Terming the draft CAG report on Delhi International Airport (DIAL) "erroneous", GMR Infrastructure Wednesday said that land at concessional rates and other benefits available to it to run the Delhi airport were part of the bid document and were available to every bidder.

"It is a draft report, which we have not seen it. However, Rs 1.63 lakh crore figure, as quoted by the media, as potential earning for us over a 58-year period for the land given is erroneous calculations," a company spokesperson said. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Radiology centre at HIMS in Hassan to become functional soon

HASSAN : It will benefit cancer patients in Hassan, neighbouring districts

C.N Jagadish, Associate Professor of Community Medicine, showing radiotherapy equipment at radiology centre at HIMS in Hassan on Monday.

The radiology centre at the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) is set to become functional in two months. The facility will benefit cancer patients in Hassan and neighbouring districts. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

UP government decides to speed up work for wildlife night park

LUCKNOW: With an aim to give fillip to tourism industry in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to speed up the process of developing a wildlife night park at Greater Noida through PPP mode. 

 

At a high-level meeting, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav decided to consider a bid invitation process for the 'Night Safari' project soon. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ajit Singh proposes PPP model for new airports

Mumbai : Ajit Singh, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, will soon move the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) with a proposal to develop and maintain new airports in various townships across the country on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, according to a report by The Hindu Business Line.

Singh recently met Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, and discussed the proposal for development and maintenance of Kolkata and Chennai airports through the PPP mode. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is developing airports at Chennai and Kolkata at costs of Rs 2,100 crore and Rs 2,350 crore respectively. The Chennai airport is likely to be operational by June while the one in Kolkata is likely by October.
Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

No dedicated stops, drivers at sea at Gurgaon

Gurgaon : Even though the transport department has launched more than 50 buses on various routes within the city, the service has only added to the woes of commuters in the absence of dedicated stops. Drivers of these buses say they have to stop the vehicle anywhere as instructed by the passengers.This often leads to traffic jams and poses risk for the motorists as well as pedestrians on the roads. 

“There is no traffic management. It becomes worse when we have to stop the bus on the road to pick and drop passengers. It poses a threat to the pedestrians and motorists,” said a bus driver. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Panchayat moves HC against Haryana govt

Chandigarh : The alleged illegal release of prime land in Gurgaon by the Haryana government to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust has come under the scanner of the Punjab and Haryana High Court with the gram panchayat of Ulhawas village moving court against the government.

Till now, the Haryana government had been justifying the release of land to the Trust primarily on the ground that the gram panchayat of Ulhawas village, from where, land was initially leased and later released to the Trust, had never objected to the decision. The gram panchayat on Monday, however, moved court, accusing the government of “illegally, arbitrarily” and with an “ulterior motive” leasing out village land to the Trust. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

4-laning work to shrink herbal garden to half

PANCHKULA: The sole herbal garden of Tricity in Sector 26, Panchkula, will soon shrink, as 200 of its trees will face the axe for a road widening project. Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) plans to four lane a stretch across Ghaggar river from Sector 23 roundabout till the dividing road of sectors 27 and 28, Panchkula.

The garden, which often sees schools bringing students for academic trips, will be reduced to less than half. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

Solar-Powered ATMs Bring Banking To India’s Remote Villages

It’s hard to do your banking when the nearest branch is a day away and you don’t have any electricity. These new cash machines run on the sun’s power, and can bring some modern banking to truly out-of-the-way places.

For many villagers in rural areas of India, personal banking is pricey in ways American could never imagine. First, there is the cost of reaching the nearest branch. Bus fares are expensive, and a day’s labor is lost in the journey. Simply installing ATMs in villages that don’t have reliable electricity (or don’t have at all) is problematic, while building bank branches in every hamlet is out of the question.

Indian engineering company Vortex has taken on the challenge by creating solar-powered ATMs. Superficially similar to the cash dispenser in your corner convenience store, these rugged little bank tellers are a distant species altogether. Read more

Source : www.fastcoexist.com

First-ever electricity for parts of India

ST. LOUIS (AP) — More than two dozen villages in rural central India will have electricity for the first time thanks to a solar power program, SunEdison announced Wednesday.

SunEdison said it will design, install and manage distributed-generation solar power plants to 29 villages under the Eradication of Darkness program. Read more

Source : news.mywebpal.com

 

Uttar Pradesh to sign pact with Gates Foundation

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government will sign an agreement with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which will provide technical, management and programme design support in the health sector. 

Co-chairman of the foundation, Bill Gates, on Wednesday met UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at his official residence here and offered his foundation's support to work in partnership on health and development issues in the state. The MoU will be signed in two months. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Dunkin' Donuts to open 100 stores in India during the next five years

The US baked food and coffee chain has opened three stores since entering the Indian market earlier this month.

A man enters a Dunkin' Donuts store in New York. (Ramin Talaie/AFP/Getty Images)

Dunkin’ Donuts aims to open 100 stores in India during the next five years as the company targets India’s fast-growing middle class with goods adapted to local tastes, Agence France-Presse reported.

The US baked food and coffee chain has opened three stores since entering the Indian market earlier this month and is already seeing 20-30 percent higher sales than expected,according to The Economic Times. Read more

Source : www.globalpost.com

Bill Gates, central govt to focus on rural sanitation

NEW DELHI: His company's software has, over the decades, enabled legions of Indian youth to become computer engineers, and helped the country lay claim to IT superpower status. With luck, his fortune now may help the country achieve something much more basic. 

The global charity founded on the fortune of software billionaire Bill Gates is joining hands with the Indian government to improve sanitation in rural areas where nearly 60% of people have no access to basic toilets. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Surat to be India's first 'Eco City'

SURAT: The diamond city has taken a step forward to become India's first 'eco city', on the lines of Singapore.

After selecting Surat as one of the three cities in the world for a demonstration project for "eco city" development, UK-based charity The Ecological Sequestration Trust (TEST) has decided to spend nearly Rs 50 crore over a period of five years to build a sustainable development model that will be more environment-friendly. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

Koramangala tree felling: court asks BDA to submit DPR in 24 hours

BANGALORE : The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday asked the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to submit within 24 hours the detailed project report (DPR) on the Sirsi Circle-Agara signal-free corridor project.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B.V. Nagarathna asked the BDA to place all documents connected with grant of permission for felling of trees to construct underpasses and flyovers in Koramangala area as part this project. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

 

Mobile phones in developing world boost e-learning

LONDON : Globalisation, as defined by the rich, is a very nice thing, the former US president Jimmy Carter once reflected. "You're talking about the internet, you're talking about cell phones, you're talking about computers," said Mr. Carter. "This doesn't affect two-thirds of the people in the world."

BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES: eLearning. Photo: Special Arrangement.

That was in 2001; a lot has changed. In Kenya, mobile phones have become an integral part of cash transfer schemes, enabling poor people in urban areas to buy food. In remote rural areas of Peru, computers provided by the Euro-Solar programme are fuelling an appetite for learning among children. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Youths must be sensitised about environment: President

New Delhi: President Partibha Patil Wednesday said that the youths of India must be sensitised towards environmental issues and should imbibe sustainability and inclusiveness as a part of their value system. 

Speaking on the occasion of Rashtrapati Bhavan's sustainability initiative, Roshni Prachodaya Society (Roshni) getting a new logo here, Patil said the event was "yet another step closer to sensitising our youths to environmental issues." Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Rs 8,500 cr monorail scheme in Chennai gains steam

Chennai : The Rs 8,500 crore monorail transit system for the city, which is the chief minister’s pet project, gathered steam on Tuesday with the state government finalising the bid documents submitted by various developers. The qualifiers for the next stage of process are likely to be named soon.

The ‘monorail empowered committee’ that comprises chief secretary, transport secretary and secretaries of various departments met at the Secretariat and discussed the recommendations given by the Hyderabad-based advisory consultant who was appointed to evaluate the tender documents submitted by the bidders. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

Tripura CM calls for foreign investment in IT

AGARTALA: Leaving aside their anti-multinational stand, veteran communist leader and Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar has called for foreign investment in the state's information technology sector. Acknowledged the necessity of foreign funds for development and ensuring the prospect of IT in the northeast, Sarkar said several people from the region had made their mark in the IT industry globe and if these people return northeast would become an IT hub and open up several opportunities for youngsters.

Making a speech at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs 42.47-crore Software Technology Park at Agartala on Monday, Sarkar said: "It may not be feasible for the government to make huge investments in the northeast's IT sector for various reasons, but foreign investment is possible because Indian professionals can serve the multinationals from here and it would be beneficial both for the investors as well as the service providers," Sarkar said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Students of northeast demand special constitutional status

Guwahati (IANS) : Demanding a special constitutional status for the northeastern states, almost all students' bodies in the region will jointly launch a massive agitation June 7, an official said here Wednesday.

This is for the first time that all the student bodies from the seven northeastern states will hold a joint agitation under the banner of North East Students' Organization (NESO). Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

Coaching centres cash in on new JEE norms

Mumbai : Institutions offering coaching classes for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have been quick to sniff business opportunities in the new norms for entrance examinations to these. Some have already increased fees, citing additional expenses on preparing study material for board examinations.

Yesterday, it was decided that from 2013, there would be a single entrance examination for admission to the IITs, the International Institutes of Information Technology and the National Institutes of Technology. Equal weightage would be given to marks secured in Class XII Board examinations and performance in the entrance test. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Indian Institute of Management - Kozhikode to give teachers a lesson on their job

KOZHIKODE: The Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK), in its effort to improve teaching methods in schools, has come up with a management development programme christened 'Leading Schools'.

The institute aims to empower teachers, principals and educationists by familiarizing them with world's best practices in education. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

48% of employers struggle to find the right candidates: Manpower Survey

BANGALORE: Nearly half of India's employers are struggling to fill critical positions because of a severe talent crunch, according to a study on talent shortage by staffing firm Manpower Group. 

Although the situation has improved over last year, 48% of employers in the country are facing hiring challenges this year as against the global average of 34%, the study said. Talent is particularly scarce in information technology, marketing, public relations and communications, and engineering, it said. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Dissent grows over new pattern of IIT-JEE

New Delhi: Even as the government has decided to go ahead with a new pattern for the joint entrance exam for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT-JEE), the teachers and alumni of the IITs are not happy, some even planning to approach the courts. 

According to sources, as many as five out of seven senates of the IITs had expressed opposition to the idea but the government chose to proceed regardless. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Rules needed to address security concerns of cloud computing: Kapil Sibal

NEW DELHI: Amid growing popularity of cloud computing, new regulations are needed to address data safety concerns as most of the servers that host personal information are located in foreign lands, Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal said today. 

Cloud computing allows companies to use services, softwares and applications on a pay-per-use model without actually owning any hardware infrastructure or licence. This helps companies save on setting up IT infrastructure or purchasing licences. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Navigating Mumbai

Mumbai : So they’ve hiked petrol rates again. Auto and taxi unions are asking for a raise in their base fares as well. Even the dependable BEST has hiked ticket fares, forcing more and more people to travel ‘cattle class’ in our local trains, which are already overcrowded. 

So what is one to do? Opt for jobs that offer pick up and drop or opt for companies that offer the ‘work-from-home’ option? Unfortunately, most of us won’t be able to utilise these elusive options. But don’t fret. Coming to the rescue are city-specific travel apps, websites and even a helpline that make commuting in Mumbai easier. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

MCC looks up to illuminate palace on all days of week

MYSORE: Mysore City Corporation is looking to tap solar power in a big way. If it has its way, the Mysore Palace will be illuminated using solar power, while other tourist spots will switch over to eco-friendly energy sources. 

The civic body, which is the nodal agency for the implementation of ambitious JnNURM projects, has approached the Centre with a proposal to utilise solar energy to illuminate the palace. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

50% families in Kerala to get water through pipes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Drinking water being distributed through pipe will be made available to 50 per cent of families in the state within two years, Irrigation Minister P J Joseph said here on Tuesday.

According to the 2011 Census, there are 77.16 lakh families in the state. Of this, only 29 per cent families now have access to drinking water. Briefing mediapersons about the achievements of the Irrigation Department on the first year of the UDF Government, the Minister said old and damaged motors and pumps would be replaced with new ones. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

India’s economy slows, with global implication

India’s coalition government just celebrated the third anniversary of its tenure with a self-congratulatory banquet that could not have been more poorly timed: India’s currency, the rupee, is falling; investment is down; inflation is rising; and deficits are eating away at government coffers.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Photo: Manish Swarup/Associated Press/The New York Times

While short-term growth has slowed but not ground to a halt, India’s problems have dampened hopes that it, along with China and other non-Western economies, might help revive the global economy, as happened after the 2008 financial crisis. Instead, India is now facing a political reckoning, as the country’s elected leaders must address difficult, politically unpopular decisions — or risk even deeper problems. Read more

Source : profit.ndtv.com

Why high BP is affecting the young?

Hypertension is a growing problem among younger people.

IT may be a silent problem, but there are enough studies to prove that it's on the rise: A Harvard School of Medicine study says that 900 million people in developing countries have high blood pressure( BP) but only a third of them are aware about it. " Young adults and children have joined middle aged people in the high blood pressure category," says Dr JPS Sawhney, chairperson, department of cardiology, Sir Gangaram hospital. Read more

Source : wonderwoman.intoday.in

Waiting for goodies? Housing societies in Ahmedabad can track progress

AHMEDABAD: Housing societies that have applied for government funding for their infrastructure - like roads, water supply, and street lights - under the Swarnim Gujarat Chief Minister's Urban Development Fund can now track the progress of the work every month. 

The planning department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has sent forth a detailed format, using which each zone and every ward office has to report the progress of each work undertaken under the scheme, They will also have to report the progress of the application made by the societies. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Kudankulam plant to sell power at Rs 2.65 a unit

CHENNAI : The Kudankulam nuclear power project, which is expected to pump in the first unit of electricity into the grid by the end of June, will sell power to the state utilities at around Rs 2.65 a unit, Mr S.K. Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), told today.

A file photo of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.

The exact rate will be known only after the plant is commissioned and full capacity is reached. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

BBMP pledges Utility Building for Rs. 1,000-crore loan

BANGALORE : Civic body to hock Jayanagar Shopping Complex too

Opposition leaders (Congress) protesting with black flag against ruling party for BBMP's plan to pledge Utility Bldg to raise Rs 1,000-crore loan during the council meeting on 29 May 2012. Photo: V Sreenivasa Murthy

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council appears to be bent on ensuring that the financially starved civic authority is mired in debt for years to come. On Tuesday, it approved a proposal to deposit the title deeds of both the Public Utility Building (PUB) on M.G. Road and the Jayanagar Shopping Complex with the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for a Rs. 1,000-crore loan. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Karnataka urges banks to speed up land records integration

BANGALORE : Banks in Karnataka have been instructed to speed up the transaction under Bhoomi-Bank integration.

Karnataka has computerised agricultural land records under Bhoomi project as well as to enable farmers to obtain hassle-free agriculture credit. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

 

Bangalore could get suburban rail too

BANGALORE: The city could well be going the Mumbai way. In a first step to revive suburban trains for better connectivity into the city, Rail Indian Technical and Economic Services (RITES) will ready the feasibility study by June first week. The Suburban Commuter Rail System will connect nearby high-density locations like Ramanagaram, Mandya, Chikkaballapur and Hosur to the city.

RITES is ready to hand over the feasibility study to the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT). "Its feasibility study will be completed by May-end and submitted anytime now. Once this is read and understood, stakeholders can meet to take the project forward," V Manjula, commissioner, DULT told TOI. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The virtual deathtrap

Technology gaining popularity: In India, with a billion emotions, lifestyles, characters and ambitions, malice has been energised by technology today . One can’t wish away some facts, as there was and in certain quarters of our society, there is still a practice of marriage where the groom and bride don’t see each other till the big day.

But technology has definitely gained immense popularity amidst tradition. After the boom hit the by-lanes of urban and rural India, youngsters and even middle aged have been clicking the mouse to befriend the opposite or same sex because it provided complete secrecy. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Jaipur Metro gets R 630-cr boost from Centre

Jaipur: Union ministry of urban development has approved Rs 630 crore loan for the first phase of Jaipur Metro project between Mansarovar and Bari Chaupar.

The approved proposal has been forwarded for examination to the planning commission of India. After clearance from the planning commission the final sanction will be done by the public investment board (PIB), a body under ministry of finance. Read more

Source : daily.bhaskar.com

 

Better urban planning essential to improve health of 60% of global population that will be living in cities by 2030

The proportion of the world's population that lives in cities has been steadily rising, so that three in five of all people globally will live in a city by 2030. The University College London/Lancet Commission on Healthy Cities explores the many issues other than health services that contribute to population health in a city environment.

Just as London's first modern, large-scale, urban sewage treatment system resulted in a 15-year increase in life expectancy between the 1880s and the 1920s, so other large-scale planning initiatives can radically change the health outcomes of city-dwellers – especially for the poorest. In this report the authors recommend focussing on the delivery of a variety of urban projects that have a positive impact on health.

Examples from the report include community-led sanitation infrastructure programmes in the slums of Mumbai, India; action for urban greening to protect against heat stress in London summers; and transportation initiatives that encourage physical activity in Bogota, Colombia. Read more

Source : medicalxpress.com