Think India Foundation

Muda's car parking plan will take off soon

MANGALORE: The ambitious Rs 300 crore multi-level car parking (MLCP) project of the Mangalore Urban Development Authority(Muda) is likely to take off soon. Muda chairman Ramesh S said that the detailed project report (DPR) is under preparation and the project will take off as soon as the widening of the KSR Rao Road, which leads to the project area, to 80 ft is taken up. 

The 1.55 acre land has been given on a 35-year lease to Muda by the city corporation. The stumbling block has been the additional 55 cents which is in private hands. "We have had talks with the five private parties who hold the private land so that Muda will have 2.10 acres of land for development. The terms of agreement will be decided soon,'' he added. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Lucknow hospitals may fail to clear fire test

LUCKNOW: Government hospitals in the city have failed to pass the fire safety test. None of them including the Quality Council of India-accredited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital is properly equipped to handle a crisis. Worse is that these centres have remained ignorant to the problem despite warnings and show-cause notices from the fire department. However, authorities at various hospitals have turned a blind eye towards the problem.

Take the example of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civil Hospital, which is the most dangerous spot in case of a fire. On visiting the place, team TOI found that there are no fire extinguishers in the out patient department complex. The hospital lacks on the count of hydrants as well. Hydrants are the lifeline of fire fighting system and even fire brigades can't act much in their absence. The set-back area is also absent. The main entrance to the hospital is always crammed; two of the remaining three sides are covered by the State Information and Public Relations Directorate while the rear end has forest area covered by the Lucknow Zoological Gardens. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Urban water needs growing, says Maharashtra revenue minister

PUNE: Less water will be available for irrigation in the coming years as the demand for water from urban areas will continue to grow due to rapid urbanization in the state, said state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat.

He was speaking at the valedictory function of a state-level seminar organized on 'Maharashtra Economy: Challenges and Prospects' at Fergusson College, here on Thursday. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Hooda government selling Haryana to land mafia, Om Prakash Chautala says

CHANDIGARH: Opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has accused the state government of selling the state to the land mafia operating out of Gurgaon. 

The accusation came a day after chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda approved the draft development plan till 2031 for Gurgaon-Manesar belt. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Sector 40 vacant plots in Gurgaon turn dumping grounds

Gurgaon : A group of women residents on Thursday staged a demonstration outside the office of Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) administrator to protest against the practice of dumping garbage on vacant plots in Sector 40.  The residents of Sector 40 have been demanding action against people who dump garbage on vacant plots, causing health problems for nearby localities. Moreover, they demanded the authorities to keep a watch on these areas, as these have become ‘dens of anti-social elements’. 

The protesters also met Huda administrator Praveen Kumar and demanded action against those who dump garbage in open spaces. They also drew the attention of the administrator about the proliferation of slum dwellings in vacant plots. These dwellings pose security threat to women, they argued. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Haryana Urban Development Authority plans to improve Behrampur Sewage Treatment Plant efficiency

GURGAON: With HUDA planning to supply treated sewage water for construction in the city, the private operator of Behrampur Sewage Treatment Plant ( STP) has been asked to expedite the process. 

Senior HUDA officials would be meeting the contractor to sort out the differences and draw a roadmap to improve efficiency of the plant. The firm will be asked to upgrade the equipment at the plant. After the recent high court order to ban use of groundwater at construction sites, HUDA decided to supply treated sewage for construction activities. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Haryana Urban Development Authority roads on forest land?

GURGAON: Construction work on master roads inside Sector 42, which is now on in full swing, was once stalled by none other than former conservator Dr R P Balwan. In other words, the forest department had put an end to the construction at that time. 

However, one can clearly see the construction work going on in right earnest during a drive down the HUDA master road 9/9A connecting Faridabad-Gurgaon road to Golf Course Road. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Haryana Urban Development Authority claims to have cleared waterlogging at Hero Honda Chowk

GURGAON: HUDA has managed to clear the waterlogging at the Hero Honda Chowk for the time being. The HUDA team led by Sarvesh Joon worked for three consecutive days to clear the water from the perennial trouble spot on NH-8. To chart a strategy to avert waterlogging at Hero Honda Chowk, officials from NHAI, Gurgaon traffic police, HUDA and DSC Ltd held a meeting on Thursday. 

"The HUDA team brought a 500-metre-long pipe to flow the rainwater to Khandsa drain thereby ensuring that the water flowed directly to the drain without affecting any other road," said a HUDA official. After Thursday's meeting it has been decided that the new pump will be kept at the site and DS Construction has been asked to make arrangement for power. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

NSSO figures call Narendra Modi's bluff on malnutrition

NEW DELHI: Whichever way you slice and dice the data, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's statement about causes of malnutrition in the state he has been ruling for over a decade is wrong. In an interview to the Wall Street Journal, Modi had said malnutrition exists in Gujarat because it is "by and large a vegetarian state" and also because it is a middle class state which is "more beauty conscious than health conscious".

Whichever way you slice and dice the data, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's statement about causes of malnutrition in the state he has been ruling for over a decade is wrong.

So he was implying that vegetarians are more likely to be undernourished, and pursuit of beauty will lead to undernourishment and bad health. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mangalore needn’t worry about garbage till 2035

MANGALORE: This coastal city is decades ahead of Bangalore on garbage clearance and needn't lose sleep over handling of solid waste at least until year 2035. 

It generates nearly 200 tonnes of waste daily which is taken to the compost plant at Pachchanady, 10km from here, for processing. The waste that cannot be converted is shifted to an adjacent landfill site, designed to handle waste generated up till 2035. The compost plant and landfill site are spread over 77.93 acres of land, of which 25.4 acres is earmarked for handling waste generated over the next 25 years from 2010 onwards. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mamata announces packages for Malda district

Malda, West Bengal (IBNS) : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a number of packages and programmes for West Bengal's Malda district.

Banerjee, who is presently on a four-day district visit, reached Malda on Wednesday evening after completing her schedules in Nadia and Murshidabad. Read more

Source : www.indiablooms.com 

Bengal government on alert as more refugees cross over

State’s ruling party is accused of playing with fire for political gains

Kolkata: West Bengal government is on high-alert as more people pour into Bengal to take shelter in the refugee camps opened by the government in the wake of ethnic violence in Assam.

The government is worried about a communal clash that may occur as more than 8,000 refugees have taken shelter in the six camps presently operational in Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reaffirmed her support to the people who have crossed over, and her concern was palpable. Read more

Source : gulfnews.com

Relief work in Rajasthan satisfactory, says UPA chief

JAIPUR: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday gave the Gehlot government a reason to smile, saying the relief work in rain-hit areas was satisfactory.

"I met the affected people and they are satisfied with the relief work. There are no complaints,'' said Sonia Gandhi, while interacting with mediapersons at Madrampura, the area badly affected in last week's heavy rains. Gandhi's interaction with media seemed a deliberate attempt to bring to rest the political debates over rain and relief management in the state. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Metro project: Firm asked to explain slow pace of work

JAIPUR: The urban development and housing(UDH) department has asked the contracted company, DSC Limited, working on the Jaipur Metro project, to explain the slow pace of its work.

"The contracted company, DSC, has delayed the civil construction work for the Metro tracks approximately by two months. We have sought an action plan to complete the work on given deadline," said a senior UDH official. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Decision to scrap water scarcity zones in Pune illogical

The 10% cut in the Pune's water supply is likely to continue till the next monsoon as the reservoirs of the four dams are only 76% full. Despite being up to the brim last monsoon, many areas reeled under acute water shortage this summer. This makes the state government's decision to scrap water scarcity zones in the 23 merged villages illogical.

 There is alarm about the government allowing multistoreyed constructions on 333 hectares in these zones. Urban planners had recommended single-storeyed constructions here after an analysis of Pune's water supply projects. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Women self-help groups to manage half of civic-run parking lots in Mumbai

Improvements panel passes proposal first made in 2010

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Improvements Committee on Thursday passed a contentious proposal to reserve the management of 50 per cent of the civic body’s parking spaces in the city for women self-help groups.

According to the proposal, first put forward in 2010, another 25 per cent will be reserved for Mumbai’s educated and unemployed and the remaining 25 per cent will be open to contractors from the general public. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

NHAI cracks whip, says concessionaire should maintain NH-8, manage traffic

Gurgaon : Action comes in the wake of Gurgaon police lodging FIR against Pink City eway operator for the chaos on stretch

With the NH-8 (Pink City Expressway) witnessing huge traffic snarls over the past couple of days owing to construction activity and numerous potholes dotting the stretch, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued stern instructions to the concessionaire to maintain the highway properly and depute traffic marshals to manage traffic. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Busy road at Uppal in Hyderabad up for widening

HYDERABAD: After taking up road widening works in the core city (erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad area), the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is now planning expansion of roads facing traffic congestion in the surrounding areas.

The corporation has decided to widen the 2 km stretch between Uppal crossroads and Peerzadiguda kaman to 150 ft from the existing 70 ft. As many as 170 properties are likely to be affected due to the road-widening exercise. Fifteen properties would be bulldozed completely, while the rest would be affected partially in order to carve out right of way. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

PAC for strict monitoring of fund usage in Northeast projects

New Delhi : The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has asked Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to improve monitoring of various schemes being implemented in the region so that there are no diversion of funds meant for specific projects.

In its report on Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources scheme, the Committee, however, complimented the Ministry for initiating a number of measures to improve implementation of the schemes in the North East region as per its earlier recommendation. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Biscuits losing their bite in rural India

India’s top biscuit makers Britannia Industries Ltd and Parle Products Pvt. Ltd say sales have slowed dramatically in the countryside as price hikes deter shoppers even before the impact of a deficient monsoon takes its full toll on rural spending power.

The development raises fears that India may not be able to count on a resilient rural economy to offset the effects of the current slowdown, experts said. Biscuits are everyday products that are popular in both rural and urban markets and a slowing in their sales could well indicate a slowing of consumption in rural India. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

Bank fixed deposits out of favour with urban India

The average percentage of households in the country holding bank fixed deposits remains below 50%

Retail asset ownership patterns reveal much more than just product penetration. A large allocation to assets such as gold and real estate points to a lack of reach and/or a lack of trust in financial products. A robust survey is a good place to analyze asset ownership patterns. 

Over the next few months, Mint Money will showcase the results of the Indian Financial Scape survey conducted by Delhi-based economics research firm Indicus Analytics to track patterns of financial asset ownership. The second in the series looks at the financial products that urban India holds. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

Mamata announces projects for Malda district

MALDA : During her visit to Malda district, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced various developmental projects for the district.

Fast-track development: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh during a meeting in Malda district on Thursday.

Banerjee said 13 model schools, seven hostels, six polytechnic institutes, a law college and a multi-speciality hospital would be set up in the district and several hospitals would be upgraded. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

'Strict action if officials do not address water logging prob'

New Delhi : The Delhi Government today warned of punitive action against officials found negligent in their duties in addressing the current problem of water logging in various parts of the city.

Urban Development Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, at a meeting with top officials of concerned departments, said the government has taken very serious view on water logging and would not tolerate any type of negligence on part of any official. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

NHRC seeks report from Andhra over child deaths in hospital

New Delhi : Alarmed at the death of nearly 700 children in an Andhra Pradesh hospital in past seven months, the NHRC has sought a report from the state government on alleged shortage of staff and infrastructure there.

Taking cognisance of the reports that 691 children have died due to alleged lack of infrastructure and shortage of staff in SVR Ruia Government General hospital in Tirupati, the rights body has asked the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary to file its reply within six weeks, an NHRC statement said. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Bangalore can learn from Kanpur model

BANGALORE -- Advising against looking at just landfill solutions for its garbage problem, Public Affairs Centre (PAC) Founder Dr Samuel Paul said Bangalore needed to emulate successful examples like Kanpur.

Bangalore generates around 5,000 tonnes of waste everyday. However, the solution comes at a price. Read more

Source : www.waste-management-world.com

Dustbins turn into garbage as waste management project sours in Amritsar

Amritsar : A number of metal dustbins used as a part of the 'Go-Green, Go-Clean' initiative under the ambitious Solid Waste Management project, have been left to rot as garbage on the sides of city roads. Garbage too lies in heaps near the dustbins with no arrangement being made for its disposal.

Things have come to such a pass, days after the private company handling the project pulled out of its contract with the MC. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Another patient tests positive for swine flu in Nagpur

NAGPUR: Even as another patient tested positive for the H1N1 virus in the city on Wednesday, the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGGMC) and the five private hospitals identified by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for treatment of patients in the urban area geared up for tackling the disease. Experts claim that though the disease may resurface and more patients could pour in, the disease can be contained as the virus has lost its vigour.

The new positive patient is a 54-year-old woman from Lalganj area admitted to a private hospital. Her swab and blood sample was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune by IGGMC on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) too has sent one more sample for testing at NIV of a 71-year-old woman from Bhiwapur. This takes the positive cases of H1N1 treated in city since April to nine. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Indian University achieves 60% energy saving through low carbon lighting upgrade

The M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT), based in Bangalore, is one of India’s most prestigious educational facilities for engineering. The Institute prides itself on having excellent infrastructure and faculty, with a teacher-student ration of 1:15.

MSRIT

In June 2011 MSRIT instigated a complete lighting retrofit in order to make the Institute a more eco-friendly facility, using eco lighting company Carbon Reduction Technology. Over the course of the installation, over eight thousand internal LED lighting units were fitted in all classrooms and corridors across the facility plus a range of external LED street lights around the Institute. Read more

Source : www.greenerideal.com

Tube to check road stress, boost comfort in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: The maddening traffic at city's roundabouts during peak hours can unnerve even the most patient of commuters and trigger road rage. To tackle this worsening traffic chaos, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in its study-based report has claimed that the tube would not only save crores of rupees on account of faster travel, but also bring stress level of commuters down.

Evaluating the tangible and intangible benefits of Metro for the city, the report has pointed out that the present traffic situation not only burns a hole in commuter's pocket with higher vehicle maintenance cost, but also brings with it a host of health hazards like vehicular pollution. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Unfinished drain, a breeding ground for mosquitoes in Bhopal

BHOPAL: After slogging hard, it would certainly not be the idea of freshers at AIIMS,Bhopal, to begin the session by reporting sick. But looking to the number of those down with malaria, it should not come as a surprise, if it happens so. And the villains, going by the assertions of premier institute's faculty, are a drain and water-filled potholes on the campus.

With less than three weeks to go before the inauguration of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, municipal authorities say it will taken another three months for the completion of work. Work on only 600 metre of the 2.1 km long drain has been completed. The drain passes through the 138 acre institute campus right next to the medical college and students' hostel. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

DDMA to carry out disaster exercises for Delhi hospitals

New Delhi : The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will carry out a series of events in the next three months to fine tune response systems of various hospitals in the event of a disaster in the city.

The Delhi Emergency Management Exercise (DEMEX) will be carried out by DDMA in coordination with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Solar power sector rapidly increases in Karnataka

New Delhi: The solar power sector is increasing rapidly in South Indian state of Karnataka as the government recently concluded a bid for allotment of 80 Mw (60 Mw for solar PV and 20 Mw for solar thermal) to developers.

A report on Renewable Energy prepared by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) was released at the conference on 'sustainable energy through renewables', organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which stated that Karnataka is the only state that has supported solar projects under the REC (Renewable Energy Certificate) mechanism. Around 950 mega watt (MW) project proposals, which are under various implementation stages such as preparation of DPR, have been submitted to the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL). Read more

Source : www.cospp.com

‘Karnataka losing due to mining ban’

Bangalore : Some state government agencies are ignorant about the availability of mineral resources, according to the Federation of Indian Minerals Association (FIMI). Saying some figures disclosed in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining in the state are wrong, FIMI general secretary RK Sharma said the state had 1.68 billion tonnes of ore in 2005 which went up to 2.10 billion tonnes in April 2010 despite over 250 million tonne being mined during the period. “No one can explore the entire deposits at one go,” he said. The Lokayukta report stated that iron ore deposits in the state would last only 15-20 years due to illegal and excessive mining.

Sharma said FIMI would complete its report on reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) activities in a couple of months and that nearly 45 reports had already been submitted to Indian Council of Forest Research and Education (ICFRE). Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Rs 1,500 cr for increasing green cover in Eastern Ghats

Coimbatore, (PTI) : Tamil Nadu Government has allocated Rs 1,500 crore for developing green cover in the much neglected Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu Agricutural University (TNAU) Vice-Chancellor K Ramasamy said today. So far efforts had been on developing Western Ghats, which runs through Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, and now the Government has allotted Rs.1,500 crore for developing Eastern Ghats, he told reporters here.

With East Coast Road on place, the Government wanted to use it to tap marine wealth and help fishermen, for which the cooperation from fisheries, animal husbandry and pwd departments and also forest department, would be sought and taken, he said. Tamil Nadu has increased its forest cover to 22 per cent and once Eastern Ghats was covered by green, mainly canopy oriented, it can reach to 27 per cent, he claimed. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Maharashtra State seeks help from sugar mills for drought relief

Mumbai: The state government has sought assistance of sugar factories to quell the impending drought crisis in the state. Deficient rainfall in many parts of the state has resulted in acute water and fodder shortage in one-third area of the state.

At a meeting to review the sugarcane availability ahead of the crushing season on Wednesday, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan asked representatives of sugar factories to set up cattle camps in their area of influence. He said that each factory should set up at least five such camps having a capacity to feed 250 animals. Read more

Source : www.mumbaimirror.com

Dusty roads kick up a storm in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: Civic authorities have turned a blind eye towards accumulation of sand and dust on the city roads for long. As a result, strong wind and steady drizzles over the last one week have made it virtually impossible for motorists to drive through some arterial roads in the city.

A cloud of dust hangs over stretches of unfinished roads near Raj Mahal Square and Janpath, which blinds motorists and at times becomes a major reason for accidents, alleged commuters. Besides, the mechanized sweeping machine that is engaged in cleaning the dust is making the atmosphere dustier. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Potholes cause congestion along NH-2

NEW DELHI: If you are travelling on National Highway-2 from Badarpur to Nehru Place, you are in for a tough ride. The three-laned loop connecting the two areas is in a mess, with one lane filled with pot holes, and the second with broken tar and bituminous coating. As a result, traffic crawls at a snail's pace on this stretch on a narrow line, resulting in traffic jams on Mathura Road.

Traffic officials claim that they have taken up the matter with civic agencies following spiraling jams in the area. "Because of the road condition, it has taken away two lanes on this loop, which is causing jams on entire NH-2. Our field officials have taken up this matter with the concerned civic agencies for repair of the road so that the entire traffic situation improves," said joint commissioner of police (traffic) Satyendra Garg. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India Remote Managed IT Service Market is Expected to Excel in 2012

India small and medium businesses (SMBs, firms with up to 999 full-time employees) are gradually moving up the technology ladder in a bid to improve business process efficiency and emulate their larger counterparts in terms of technology adoption. India SMBs face a challenge vis-à-vis technology management though, with only one in four of India small businesses (SBs, companies with up to 99 on staff) employing a full-time, internal, IT professional dedicated to managing their technology infrastructure. The situation is much better for the medium business segment (MBs, companies with 100 to 999 employees). Here more than eight in ten MBs have dedicated internal IT employees; however their main focus is on routine maintenance issues rather than strategic IT management.

 

Remotely managed information technology services (RMITS) is the new growth engine in the arena of IT services for India SMBs. According to AMI-Partners' upcoming 2012 India Managed Services Study, the RMITS market share in 2012 shows a considerable 28% year-over-year rise. In fact this increase is more than double the growth rate displayed by on-premise IT services within the same period, indicating that future growth opportunities for IT service providers lie within this domain. Read more

Source : www.cio.in

ICT be used for better healthcare: Pitroda

Information and communications technology should be used to create an information network for better health care in the country, Sam Pitroda, adviser to the prime minister on Public Infrastructure and Innovation, said Wednesday.

Addressing a conference on healthcare organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Pitroda said existing healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural area, needed to be improved. Read more

Source : gadgets.ndtv.com

Smartphones to replace landlines within 5 years: Survey

LONDON: Landline phones in offices will be replaced by smartphones within five years, a new study has suggested.  

According to a research complied by Virgin Media Business, the once vital office landline will soon be a thing of the past and will be replaced by smartphones. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Israel to aid Bihar's development bid

PATNA: Israel looks forward to increasing cooperation with Bihar in fields like agriculture,solar energy, water harnessing and health insurance.

The Ambassador of Israel, Alon Ushpiz, said on Wednesday after an hour-long meeting with chief minister Nitish Kumar here that cooperation would be increased in agriculture sector with thrust on promotion of horticulture, dairy, fishery besides green vegetables and water area. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rs 23,000 crore electric-vehicles plan cleared

Mumbai : The government on Wednesday approved a Rs 23,000 crore plan to promote the production of electric (EV) and hybrid vehicles over the next eight years, and set a sales target of 60 lakh units by 2020.

The schemes are an extension of the National Electric Vehicle Mission Policy announced by former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee during the 2011 Budget. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

India to see 30K MW renewable capacity addition in 12th plan

NEW DELHI: India is expected to see renewable energy capacity addition of 30,000 MW, with significant contribution from wind power, over the next five years. 

"At the end of 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), the country is expected to have total renewable energy generation capacity of 55,000 MW," Joint Secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Tarun Kapoor said here today. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Solid waste management plan yet to take off in Patna

PATNA: The problem of solid waste continues to plague Patnaites as Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is yet to give a no objection letter to the newly appointed waste management companies appointed by the urban development department. The Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) had sanctioned Rs 110 crore for installation of a waste recycling plant but the work could not take off due to the delay by the PMC officials.

For the last couple of years, the solid waste is being dumped at Beriah which is marked for the purpose. "The PMC was allotted 70 acres of land to use as dump yard and the waste recycling plant was also supposed to be installed there. But due to some departmental hiccups the project is delayed," said PMC chief engineer RK Verma. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Gurgaon set to get its own university

Gurgaon : The Haryana government is likely to set up a university on a 215-hectare plot in Sector-68, Gurgaon.

This is part of the draft development plan for Gurgaon-Manesar Urban Complex-2031 that was approved by the state-level committee of town and country planning at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Trenches, solar fences to check jumbo menace

MADIKERI: The forest department has decided to install solar fences and dig trenches to check the elephant menace in Kodagu district. 

Elaborating on the measures, Kodagu conservator of forests Brijeshkumar Dixith said the department has planned to install solar fences across 71 km in Nagarahole-Thithimathi range and for 41 km in Dubare range. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rural India outpaces urban spending!

New Delhi : Rising inflation and a slowdown in growth had little impact on the rural consumption patterns which outpaced urban spending in the two year period between 2009-10 and 2011-12.

Rural consumption expenditure outpaced that in urban India by 25 per cent, the first such phenomenon in over two decades, a report by rating agency Crisil said. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Rural telecom subs grow at faster rate than urban users: CAG

'The growth rate of subscribers in rural areas during the last five years was higher at 485% compared to 233% in urban areas'

New Delhi : Telecom users in rural areas have grown at a faster pace compared to their urban counterparts in the last five years, a CAG report said today.

Rural subscribers have grown to 282.23 million as on March 2011, from 45.71 million in 2006-07, while the urban user base increased to 564.08 million from 160.15 in the same period, the CAG report tabled in Parliament said. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Telcos can save Rs 80,000 cr by using renewable fuel source

Telecom companies can save up to Rs 80,000 crore over the next eight years by replacing diesel with a renewable energy source to power towers, says a report released by NGO Greenpeace today.

Telecom companies can save up to Rs 80,000 crore over the next eight years by replacing diesel with a renewable energy source to power towers, says a report released by NGO Greenpeace today.

"With an ambition to be diesel free by 2020, 12.5% of these towers need to be retrofitted (with renewable energy source) every year, telecom companies average savings would be Rs 10,000 crore every year that adds up to nearly Rs 80,000 crore over the 8 year period," the report said. Read more

Source : www.moneycontrol.com

India May Auction 1 Gigawatt To Double Solar Capacity

India may auction a third of the solar projects planned by 2017 in the current financial year to double the nation’s sun-powered capacity as it seeks additional clean-energy investments to combat power shortages.

Of the 3,000 megawatts of solar plants proposed to be built starting in 2013, contracts for “1,000 megawatts or a little less” may be tendered in the first batch, Tarun Kapoor, joint secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said yesterday in a phone interview from New Delhi. Read more

Source : www.bloomberg.com