Think India Foundation

Centre to set up four electronics clusters in AP

Chennai/ Visakhapatnam : India under its national electronics policy aims to achieve $36 billion in hardware and electronics exports by 2020 by promoting the proposed clusters

The Centre is planning to set up 200 electronics manufacturing clusters (EMCs) across the country over the next eight years. Of these, Andhra Pradesh is expected to get four, said Killi Kruparani, minister of state for communication and IT.

The minister was addressing a workshop organised by the Software Technology Parks of India and Visakha Information Technology Association here recently. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Aadhaar enrolment to get easier with 2,000 more machines

Pune : You’ll find it easier to enrol for the Unique Identification Authority of India cards – or Aadhaar cards – as the state government plans to deploy 2,000 new machines for registration.

Secretary of the state information technology (IT) department, Rajesh Aggarwal, said they have placed work orders for 2,000 kits which will be used to register people for Aadhaar cards. This will lead to an increase in capacity by around 50% in the state which has 4,399 operational machines in 1,744 active registration centres run by both-- state and non-state registrars (like banks). Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

VMC revives A2Z ties for solid waste mgmt

VARANASI: Gurgaon-based private group A2Z is being roped in once again to manage solid waste from 90 wards of the city. However, the group would have to complete pending work in the Karsada plant before the deal is finalized. The group had already completed 75% of the work in the plant before it fell out with Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) in August 2012.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by principal secretary, urban development, in the state capital on Friday. Municipal commissioner RP Singh on Saturday said that roping in A2Z to complete the Karsada plant was a better option as it would not put any additional burden on the treasury. Besides, the group would also be responsible for management and disposal of the solid waste. The door-to-door collection of the garbage and its transportation to Karsada plant will be managed by the VMC.'' The company representatives admitted to their faults and assured us of no repetition of such mistakes.'' he added. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

No power backup at Huda water supply plant

Gurgaon : At a time when water scarcity is a burning issue in the city, the lone water supply plant of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda), located at the fag end of Basai, does not even have power backup. With power disruptions being a perennial problem in these parts, the plant cannot supply water even hours after a power cut.

As a result, the residents of old Gurgaon have been reeling under severe water crisis for the past three weeks and the residents of DLF City are likely to stage a protest on Monday. “We have been purchasing water from private suppliers for the past two weeks. The DLF management says that Huda has not supplied water which has virtually led to the scarcity,” said Joginder Singh, a resident of DLF Phase-III, the locality hit worst by the scarcity. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Trees pay price of development: report

Gurgaon : In the past ten years, Gurgaon has grown by leaps and bounds when it comes to industry and infrastructure. But this has reportedly been at the cost of the city’s green cover. According to data provided by the Haryana Forest Development Corporation (HFDC), Gurgaon chapter, 61,050 trees have been felled here in the past 11 years (2001 to 2011).

The highest number of trees was felled in 2002, with the count at 13,843. This was the year when the four-lane National Highway-8, which connects New Delhi and Mumbai, was being laid. Further, when the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, a part of NH-8 that cuts through Gurgaon, was being widened to six lanes, 8,312 trees were cut along the 28-km stretch. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Bus Rapid Transit System delay cost Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Rs100 cr: Corporator

PUNE: Opposition members have pulled up the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation for keeping the elected representatives in the dark about the status of BRTS projects and the cost escalation due to delay in its implementation.

Senior NCP corporator and former mayor R S Kumar said in the general body recently that delay in implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) work in Pimpri-Chinchwad has cost the municipal corporation Rs 100 crore. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Crying need for judicial reform, more judges and better infrastructure

New Delhi : 

Justice delayed is justice denied. Nowhere this rings truer than in India where a staggering 30 million cases are said to be pending in the country's courts today. And to tackle this intimidating problem requires comprehensive judicial reform, more judges of quality and improvement of the judicial infrastructure, jurists say.

"We need more quality judges who should be appointed through a transparent selection process and who are accountable for their actions," noted lawyer and transparency activist Prashant Bhushan said. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

IPL's spot-fixing scandal and IOA suspension must speed up reforms in Indian sport

The IPL spot-fixing scandal and recent efforts to rehabilitate the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the Olympic movement suggest that Indian sport stands at a crucial juncture. If the spot-fixing saga has exposed a deep-rooted malaise in Indian cricket that can no longer be ignored, the IOA's suspension last year exemplifies a serious decay in the country's sporting infrastructure. Both incidents, however, also represent a golden opportunity to effect a much-needed revamp of Indian sport.

While the BCCI needs to be credited for making Indian cricket a veritable powerhouse, its inability to put in place transparent mechanisms and hone a culture of accountability has reached a point where it is threatening the very future of the game. Apart from a zero-tolerance policy towards fixing of any kind, the board needs to put in place a mentoring and counselling process for young players, which will help them deal with the temptations they are exposed to. And adequate security needs to be provided to them too. The latest reports that D Company gangsters have been able to get through to young players and attempt to coerce them into joining fixing rackets are alarming. Reporting such threat calls should be made mandatory by the board. And the government must move legislation to legalise betting in sport forthwith, which will help rescue betting from the clutches of organised crime syndicates. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Local content norms for solar projects ineffective: First Solar

NEW DELHI : Emphasising that local content requirements for solar projects are “ineffective”, solar gear maker First Solar has said creating a transparent market with significant demand is the best way to promote local industry.

The comments from US-headquartered First Solar come against the backdrop of the US dragging India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over alleged discrimination by New Delhi’s national solar mission against American products. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Residents irked by stagnating sewage water in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Residents are irked by the never-ending underground drainage work and its many problems, stagnating sewage water being a major complaint. 

For the past few days, drainage water from a blocked pipeline near the district collector's office has been pervading the main road used by thousands of people regularly. The district police office, railway station, banks, fire station and other public buildings are located on the State Bank of India Road where the drainage water has been flowing freely. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

31 pathological labs, X-ray centres sealed in Purnia

PURNIA: In a significant development, the health department officials on Saturday sealed as many as 31 illegal pathological and X-ray centres across Purnia town which has lately turned out to be a very big medical hub in north-east Bihar. Two persons were also arrested in this connection, according to health officials here. Many others, however, managed to dodge the raiding teams.

The crack-down on pathological and X-ray centres came in the wake of mounting complaints that many of the pathological and X-ray centres were being run illegally and in clear flouting of the norms established by the state government. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mangalore City Corporation to fast-track UGD project

MANGALORE: With the 355-km underground drainage (UGD) network in the city expected to be completed by this month end, the focus will now shift to connecting individual dwellings and commercial units to this network.

The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC), which will be the custodian of this network, is now left with the task of formulating a policy to support interconnection to the network. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com 

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority's reluctance halts Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's green belt proposal

HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) are at loggerheads over allotment of 284 acres in Jawaharnagar for providing a buffer zone (green belt) around the dump yard and extending its boundary.

The GHMC has proposed providing a 100 metre buffer zone around the garbage dump in order to prevent ground, water and air pollution by acquiring 172 acres of government land from the HMDA. The corporation has been running the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project at the dump yard since the past two years in public-private-partnership model along with Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd. The aim of the project, which began a couple of years ago, is to dispose around 3,800 metric tones of garbage daily in a scientific manner. Ramky was given 339 acres of land for the project. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

BRTS drives land rates up 50% on Iskcon-Bopal stretch

Ahmedabad: After the skyrocketing rates it witnessed in the last couple of years, realty sector in Amdavad has not seen much movement for about a year now. However, the announcement of high density corridor along the BRTS route and proposed Metro corridor in the new development plan (DP) by Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) has infused some life into the realty market at least in residential zone-II (R-II). 

 

Land prices in R-II zone on the stretch from Iskcon Circle to Bopal have appreciated by 65%, reveal nearly half a dozen realty deals that took place recently. In the new DP for Ahmedabad, the development authority has provided more construction area by raising the floor space index (FSI) limit from 1.2 to 4. This means that a developer can build a 40,000-square metre area on a 10,000 sq m plot now. “Real estate projects have become more viable along the corridor because of higher FSI,” said Neeraj Tomar, head of Ahmedabad operations at Jones Lang LaSalle. Read more

Source : daily.bhaskar.com

Water crisis deepens in South Kanpur localities

KANPUR: Residents of Barra -2 locality in Kanpur South on Saturday performed prayers at uprooted handpumps on water works premises in protest against erratic water supply in the area. The residents prayed that these handpumps would be repaired and re-installed in the area.

Kanpur South is in grip of acute water crisis. Water to the area is supplied by Gujaini water works and handpumps. Overhead water tanks have failed to meet needs of the area owing to frequent power cuts and unscheduled rostering. Even Gujaini water works is not functioning to its capacity. Against the demand of five crore litres, the water works is supplying merely three crore litres of water on daily basis. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Developers axe old tree, NMC residents protest

Gurgaon : In the wake of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) allegedly taking into possession the National Media Centre’s (NMC) greenbelt on May 8 to construct a road, private developers of the gated community allegedly tried to axe a 45-year-old tree on the premises on Friday night.

According to the residents, the developers of NMC — DLF and ILFS — along with two earth-moving machines allegedly tried to axe a 45-year-old Peepal tree in the gated community’s greenbelt. Read more

Source: www.hindustantimes.com

22-hour power supply in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: As the mercury is soaring, the electricity distribution companies in Haryana have made arrangements to provide at least 22-hour power supply in urban areas. Besides monitoring the demand and supply, distribution companies Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam(UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam(DHBVN) have created a bank of transformers to ensure smooth flow of electricity.

Peak summer has set in and the demand for power has risen up to 7,258 MW against the demand of 6,122MW on Friday. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Faulty drawing brought down Ultadanga flyover in Kolkata

KOLKATA: A flaw in the drawing and design of the curved stretch of Ultadanga flyover led to its collapse on March 3 this year, says the report of the fact-finding committee. 

The urban development department had tasked a five-member panel with finding out why the curved section of the flyover collapsed. The final report has been submitted to the urban development minister Firhad Hakim, who also heads the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Meet monorail's first 3 Indian captains

Ahead of August launch, youth share their experience of training & trial runs, and gush about how they enjoy the attention of motorists who stop to click pictures of the rake.

Three young Mumbaikars are set to drive the city’s newest mode of transport — India’s first monorail that will start operating between Wadala and Chembur in August this year.

A total of 21 captains have been appointed and are undergoing training, while 15 more will be recruited in the coming weeks. Like a local train has a motorman, captain is the title for those who will drive the monorail. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Water sports to buoy Puri beach tourism

BHUBANESWAR: From the forthcoming tourist season (October-February), tourists visiting Puri would feel the thrill of adventure in the Bay of Bengal. The proposed water sports projects along the coast of Puri beach are likely to be commissioned by October, with the empowered committee on investment, a body of the state government, giving its nod to the projects a few days ago.

"The empowered committee on investment, headed by the chief secretary, has approved the projects, which will be implemented on the beaches in Puri and its outskirts (Chandrabhaga and Ramchandi near Konark)," said state tourism director H S Upadhyay. "A Mumbai-based company has been assigned to commission the water sports in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode," Upadhyay added. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Vijnan Parishat to broaden its horizon

BANGALORE: Karnataka Rajya Vijnana Parishat(KRVP) has been instrumental in spreading science in abolition of blind practices in Karnataka reached a mile stone on Thursday with the extension of its head office building. 

The Parishat played a major role in promotion of science in rural Karnataka, and guiding the students on various streams of science ranging from psychology to space technology. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

'Get roads in Varanasi built before monsoon'

VARANASI: While the city is facing troubles as far as basic infrastructure and civic amenities are concerned, the Uttar Pradesh Awaas Vikas Parishad (UPAVP) preferred not to use the development fund of Rs 502.91 lakh that they received during last financial year as none of the 15 development projects for which the money had been sanctioned have started yet.

This fact came to light at the review meeting held by divisional commissioner Chanchal Kumar Tiwari on Thursday. The progress in development works of Varanasi Development Authority (VDA), Varanasi Municipal Corporation ( VMC) and UPAVP were reviewed in the meeting. Officials of UPAVP were directed to start these projects soon failing which the same would be cancelled. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

ISS to join hands with US society to harness solar power in space

Chandigarh : The global electricity demand is expected to increase by 87 per cent around 2035. It is believed that by 2050 the world may not be able to fulfill its overall energy requirements in spite of using every available energy resource. In such a scenario, Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) can be seen as a future energy source.

To make this a reality, International Space Society (ISS), India is going to collaborate with National Space Society (NSS), USA, to promote an international consensus on Space-Based Solar Power. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

AOF to upgrade computer unit

BHUBANESWAR : Amway Opportunity Foundation (AOF) has announced plans for upgrading  the computer centre of the Palli Unnayan Seva Samiti, an institution working with education and development of children belonging to underprivileged sections, into a Centre for Excellence in Information Technology.

 The CSR arm of Amway India will provide all infrastructure and equipment for the purpose. The AOF also presented educational aid to the organisation at a function attended by additional DCP S K Das, secretary PUSS Swati Suchismita Patra and area manager Amway India Sridipta Sinha. Read more

Source : newindianexpress.com

Sewerage project: JNNURM team takes note of lapses

INDORE: A team of JNNURM from Union urban development ministry was in the city on Friday to inspect ongoing sewerage project in Indore while team of the Union ministry is expected to visit the city for BRTS project inspection soon.

Urban infrastructure expert (technical) Devendra Singh Dhopola carried out physical inspection of sewerage project along with the city engineer of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC). Dhopola said Union minister for urban development Kamal Nath received a series of complaints against the work from people's representatives and therefore the inspection is being carried out. Barring saying he noted down points and submit them to the ministry, he refused to share his observation on the project. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

MKU announces creation of two more schools

MADURAI: Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) on Friday announced the creation of two new schools taking the total number of schools in the university to 20.

The two new schools - School of Information Technology and School of Youth Empowerment - were approved during the academic council meeting and senate meetings held during the day. The university's syndicate had already given its nod for the two schools. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

P'kula MC can use Sec 23-25 for now; tribunal team to scout sites next month

Panchkula : Providing some relief to the municipal corporation (MC) of Panchkula and the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, on Friday ruled that the dumping ground in Sector 23-25 could be used temporarily. However, a two-member expert panel from the tribunal would visit Panchkula next month and submit a report about the best-suited sites for garbage dumps.

The sites in contention include one in Jhuriwala, which already has environmental clearance for a solid waste management plant, besides the Sector 23-25 ground and the one located in Madanwala (Pinjore) suggested by the Hemant Sarin, one of the petitioners in the case. Sarin had raised the issue of fire in the dumping ground of Sector 23-25 that had made the life of residents difficult for many days. The MC informed the tribunal that an FIR had been registered in that regard. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Green energy from blue sea

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Offshore wind farms to produce power for Kerala

File photo of Donghai Bridge Offshore Wind Farm, Shangai, China. Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) is preparing to take up a wind monitoring study to identify potential offshore sites in Kerala.

A few years from now, wind farms located at sea could be churning out clean energy to feed the starved power grid in Kerala. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

KSRTC bags award for ITS

BANGALORE: KSRTC ( Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) was bestowed with IIMM SCM innovation award for its venture in intelligence transport system operated in Mysore. 

The award was given during the APCON conclave in Bangalore on Friday. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Solar-powered irrigation pumpset has its limitations, say farmers

TIRUCHI : Chief Minister’s announcement on 8,000 solar IP sets draws praise

Although Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s announcement on extending 80 per cent subsidy for 2,000 solar-powered pumpsets has elicited hearty approbation from a number of farmers, they have a lurking fear on its efficacy as well.

Mahadhanapuram V. Rajaram, working president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association, is sceptical whether such pumpsets would be able to draw water beyond a depth of 50-60 ft (20 metres at the most). Besides, the quantum of water required for irrigation may not be pumped. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Centre banned commercial borewells in city, state overturned it quietly

The central government's ground water authority had issued a major order in November 2012, banning digging of commercial borewells. When the baton passed to the state authority this April, everything broke.

Manipal ETA Infotech SEZ coming up in Agara. Massive projects like these, need millions of litres of water daily. Pic: Navya P K

While water-strapped Bengaluru is waiting for the mercy of rain gods to bless the Cauvery belt to quench its thirst, water mafia is busy drawing water from just about anywhere: their own bore wells, bore wells of others, lakes and water bodies - wherever one can see water.  As this article goes into publication, the city water board has just announced that Cauvery water supply for Bengaluru will stop in four days. Read more

Source : bangalore.citizenmatters.in

Gorai villagers to take on government over tourism zone plan

MUMBAI: The state government's plan to develop the Gorai-Manori-Uttan belt as a tourism zone has irked the residents. On Thursday, villagers put up black flags across the area to protest against the plan.

Last week, the villagers sent a letter to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, pointing out that the draft development plan published in November 2011 sought to convert 10,000 acres in the Gorai-Manori belt into tourism development zone and development zone. Land earlier marked as no-development zone and preservation zone is to be changed into green zone. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Cuttack to get new bus fleet

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to introduce an intra-city bus service in Cuttack without disturbing the existing movement of JNNURM-sponsored interlinked 'green rider' town buses between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The housing and urban development (H&UD) department has asked the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to constitute a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to manage the proposed Cuttack city bus service. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Government discussing setting up of Green Energy Corridors

New Delhi: Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is in Germany to discuss an agreement that would provide support for setting up Green Energy Corridors for transmission of power. 

The aim is to supply 30,000 MW of clean power (wind and solar) to the national grid by 2020. Germany has committed to provide an assistance of Euro 1 billion to India. Read more

Source : english.manoramaonline.com

Greenpeace activists take solar power to Delhi Power minister

New Delhi: Delhi’s Power Minister Haroon Yusuf was in for a shock recently when Greenpeace activists decided to deliver a powerful message to him. To make their point that clean energy can solve Delhi’s energy deficit, they wheeled in a set of solar panels in front of the Minister’s residence and then chained themselves to it.

Greenpeace activists stage a sit-in with solar panels in front of Delhi power minister's residence.

The activists were protesting against Delhi's dull performance on its renewable energy targets as highlighted in the Greenpeace report, ‘Powering Ahead with Renewables: Leaders and Laggards’. Over 75% of Delhi’s electricity comes from coal-fired power plants from other states. During the biggest blackout in India’s history in 2012, Delhi was severely affected and came to a standstill for two days. If decentralised renewable energy like solar power was available, Delhi could have powered itself to a large extent during the grid failure. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

Have solar power, can sell to Andhra government soon

HYDERABAD: Hoping to lure residents to opt for solar power by offering monetary benefits, the state government is set to buy power at the rate of Rs 3.50 per unit from domestic consumers who install solar units at their residences and generate power more than their individual requirement.

Hit hard by severe power shortage, the state government is mulling a policy that would allow individual consumers to sell their excess solar power to the state power grid. The cabinet sub-committee headed by finance minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy has almost finalised the rate at which excess power generated at rooftops, terraces and balconies of individuals' houses, apartments and commercial complexes would be bought. "It would be around Rs 3.50 per unit. We will submit a report to chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy in a week's time," a minister, who is a member of the sub-committee, told TOI. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

CAG report slams 3 Corporations for shortfalls

CHENNAI : The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the functioning of Tamil Nadu’s local bodies in 2010-11 has faulted the Municipal Corporations of Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai for failing to follow basic guidelines of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and prescribed prioritisation for the release of funds.

The report, which was tabled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday, was critical of decision of the administrations headed by former Chennai Mayor M Subramanian (DMK), former Coimbatore Mayor R Venkatachalam (Congress) and former Madurai Mayor Thenmozhi Gopinathan. Read more

Source : newindianexpress.com

CAG has the answer to why Chennai gets flooded when it rains

CHENNAI: Storm water drainage does not seem to be a priority item for the inundation-prone city of Chennai. A paltry 5% of the mandated budget alone was allocated by the Chennai corporation for storm water drainage work, resulting in slow progress in the key infrastructure project, said a Comptroller and Auditor Gneral (CAG) report tabled in the assembly on Wednesday.

The CAG report slammed the civic body for its failure to coordinate with other departments to ensure hindrance-free work. The immediate consequences are inundation during the monsoon and cost overrun of the project, it said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Manmohan Singh bats for new law to deal with PPP project disputes

NEW DELHI: Faced with a spectre of abandoned or stalled infrastructure projects, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a major intervention to revive India's core sector investments on Thursday by initiating work on a new law to resolve disputes in public contracts being executed on a PPP or public private partnership basis.

Across sectors such as power and highways, infrastructure builders have been hit by a double whammy of delayed clearances and an escalation in the cost of raw materials like coal. Nearly Rs 15,000 crore of infrastructure developers' dues are locked in disputes with the government in the highways sector alone. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Sharecroppers stall road project over compensation

PANAGARH: Demanding compensation from the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) that acquired land for the Panagarh Industrial Park long back, some 200-300 sharecroppers who once tilled the 1,458-acre land forced workers of a contractor -building an internal road there - to stop work.

As workers of BLA Projects Pvt Ltd - that bagged the Rs 65 crore project for the 10-km road to connect the park with NH-2 - got down to work on the stretch in Kota on Thursday, some 300 sharecroppers, claiming that they hadn't been compensated, prevented construction work. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Pipe work stuck, Gurgaon city stares at water crisis

Gurgaon : The threat of water scarcity looms large over many areas in New Gurgaon areas this summer too, thanks to the negligence of the Haryana Urban Development Authority’s (Huda) engineering wing.

The engineering wing has not yet completed the water pipeline-laying work between the boosting station in Sector 16 and Rajiv Chowk. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

ADB sanctions $110 mn loan for urban infrastructure in Jammu, Srinagar

New Delhi : Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of India today signed an agreement for a $110 million loan to improve the urban services, including water supply, in two capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir.

More than two million people in Srinagar and Jammu will benefit from improved access to water supply, functional drainage systems, and better road facilities. Read more

Source : www.greaterkashmir.com

Chhattisgarh government plans monorail network for Raipur

Raipur: Chhattisgarh government has decided to run a monorail in Raipur to reduce traffic congestion and increase share of public transport in the urban transport network. "The state government has planned a comprehensive network of monorail at Raipur which mostly has narrow roads and requires a quick solution for its mounting traffic problems," an official in Raipur said on Thursday.

CM Raman Singh had given a brief presentation at the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries on establishing a monorail network in the city in October 2012.

"In this connection, Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar chaired a meeting on Wednesday at New Mantralaya here," he said. According to the official, a monorail is best suited to solve the city's growing traffic woes and its routes will be finalised very soon and a committee headed by the secretary to Chief Minister Raman Singh will initiate steps. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Ahmedabad BRTS wins silver rating from globally renowned experts

Ahmedabad BRTS, known as Janmarg has added yet another feather in its cap. It has received the Silver Rating from a technical committee comprising of world renowned experts in the field of BRT. This Technical Committee certifies corridors and recommends revisions to the BRT Standard annually. The benefit of certifying a BRT corridor as gold, silver, bronze, or basic is that it sets an internationally recognized standard for the current best practice for BRT. The Committee in 2013, gave Silver rating for Ahmedabad Janmarg. The BRT Standard Technical Committee members include people of eminence representing well-known international organisations.

Ahmedabad started its BRT system in 2009. Since its inauguration in October 2009, Janmarg has been accepted as the first ‘complete’ BRTS in India and has influenced planning and design choices in other cities – in India and abroad. The trans-vision of Ahmedabad is captioned as ‘Accessible Ahmedabad’. As part of this vision, the Ahmedabad BRTS is officially called ‘Janmarg’ – the people’s way. Read more

Source : www.niticentral.com

No land for planting trees in Delhi: Forest department

NEW DELHI: With urbanisation and infrastructural development taking place rapidly in the national capital, the forest department has been struggling with land to plant trees, an official said Thursday.

Speaking at a public lecture, 'Delhi's Dying Trees', city's chief conservator of forest AK Shukla said hundreds of trees have been felled in the last one decade to build roads, flyovers, Delhi Metro and other infrastructure in the city. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

India can create world class varsities, says President

Silchar (Assam) : Emphasising on bringing higher education closer to common man, President Pranab Mukherjee said the dream of creating world class universities in India is an achievable aspiration.

"We must remember that once we had world class universities in Nalanda and Takshashila where brilliant minds of the world came for acquiring education. Therefore, the dream of creating world class universities in India is an achievable aspiration," he told the 13th annual convocation of Assam University in Silchar town of North Eastern Indian state of Assam. Read more

Source : indiatoday.intoday.in

Desalination plant planned near Gopalpur

BERHAMPUR: A desalination plant that will convert sea water into potable one is being planned near Gopalpur in Ganjam district. The Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) has decided to install a 5-million litre per day (mld) capacity plant to meet the industrial and potable drinking water requirements for its Odisha Sands Complex (OSCOM) at Matikhala near Chhatrapur.

The Rs 112.90-crore project is scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2019, the Union minister of state for personnel, public grievances, pensions and prime minister's office V Narayanasamy told Rajya Sabha member Renubala Pradhan in a reply recently. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

New water supply network for Pandesara Industries to be set up

SURAT: Tender scrutiny committee (TSC) of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) approved the proposals to set up water distribution network for providing potable and treated water to industrial houses of Pandesara.

For providing drinking water to these industrial houses , a new network of pipelines would be set up that will cost SMC Rs 6.25 crore . It will also set up separate network for providing treated water from Bamroli Tertiary treatment plant that is likely to start functioning in coming six months. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Maharashtra govt steps on the gas over Pedder Road flyover plan

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday hastily stepped up efforts for early construction of the Pedder Road flyover, shaken by a TOI expose (May 14) that the Bandra-Worli sea link (BWSL) was fast losing its vehicle count, which may result in a heavy toll on motorists for a longer period.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which also built the Rs 1,634 crore BWSL, floated a tender inviting a consultant for construction of the flyover that will cost over Rs 300 crore. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

All eyes on government to solve sewage problem

NAGPUR: The cash-strapped Nagpur municipal corporation (NMC) is helpless in stopping the flow of sewage into the river or ensuring its treatment. However, since managing sewage is necessary to ensure the Nag River remains a clean water body, all eyes are on two projects pending with the central government for clearance. Mayor Anil Sole and municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane are hoping for total rejuvenation of the river within two years if gets the projects are approved.

Sole told TOI the quantity of sewage flowing in the river is huge. "Over 450 million litres per day (MLD) sewage is flowing through the entire city every day. NMC is operating 80 MLD sewage treatment plant and started construction of 130 MLD plant at Bhandewadi. We need to construct sewage pipelines for safe collection and carriage of sewage to the treatment plants, and have capacity to treat entire quantity. Two projects have been submitted to the government and approval is awaited," he said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com