Think India Foundation

NGO claims lacunae in draft Development Plan of PMC

Pointing out serious lacunae in various studies undertaken by PMC to prepare the draft Development Plan, city-based organisation Parisar has alleged that several urban planning norms were flouted in drafting the DP for the old part of the city.

In its 30-page report on suggestions and objections, the organisation has highlighted serious lacunae and mistakes in Existing Land Use (ELU) Study , Demographic Study, Housing Study and Transport Study conducted by the civic administration. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Jaipur Development Authority seeks govt nod for vertical growth in Jaipur

JAIPUR: The Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) is all set to provide relaxations in norms for multi-storey buildings that is expected to provide benefit to the big developers in the city. A proposal for amendments in the building bylaws has been sent to the state government. 

According to the proposal, multi-storey buildings on a plot size of 1,000 sq metre to 2,500 sq metre with height up to 30 metre to 40 metre can be constructed after leaving 9 metre setback. However, according to existing building bylaws, for a 30 metre to 35 metre-high building, the developer has to leave 11 metre setback area, while for 35 metre to 40 metre-high buildings, 12 metre setback area is required. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Bengal focus on e-waste management

Calcutta : The Bengal IT department has initiated the process of setting up an e-waste management and processing unit in an adjoining district of Calcutta.

It is scouting for a suitable plot of land in North and South 24-Parganas and Howrah. Read more

Source : www.telegraphindia.com

10 luxury buses seized for plying on BRTS road

INDORE: Regional Transport Office (RTO) seized 10 luxury buses in Indore on Thursday for plying on road meant for BRTS buses. The travel agencies, whose buses were seized, include Neeta, Ashok, Hans, Jalaram, Ekta, HK Travels and Bawa. The action was taken by special flying squad of RTO, a day before the trial run of BRTS buses begins in the city.

It was two months ago that district collector Akash Tripathy had asked luxury buses operators with all India permit not to run buses on road meant for BRTS. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

IWT discriminatory against J&K: Taj

‘Pakistan major beneficiary of the treaty’

Srinagar : Senior Congress leader and Minister for Medical Education Taj Mohiudin Wednesday said Pakistan was the major beneficiary of 1960 Indus Water Treaty as Government of India or the State of Jammu and Kashmir can’t stop the water of rivers flowing to the neighboring country. Taj ruled out water war between India and Pakistan, stating that no project in J&K violates the treaty.

The former PHE and Irrigation Minister of J&K has given a detailed description of the fallout of IWT in his achievement report titled- Yes We Can - a slogan copied from US President Barack Obama.  The 114-page report highlights the achievements of Taj’s four year stint as PHE and Irrigation minister. He has claimed credit for 112 projects, some of them major and also tried to clear doubts about IWT. Read more

Source : www.greaterkashmir.com

Haryana policy to improve communication infrastructure

New Delhi/ Chandigarh : Govt gave its approval to the Policy which seeks to strengthen the sector and its performance in the state

Haryana government on Thursday gave its approval to the Policy for Communication and Connectivity Infrastructure, which seeks to strengthen the sector and its performance in the state.

The policy comprehensively addresses the requirements of setting up communication infrastructure in the state and envisages grant of clearances according to a uniform set of guidelines. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

MC under scanner in recruitment of 25 clerks

Chandigarh : The municipal corporation of Chandigarh has come under scanner after gross violations were found in the appointment of 25 clerks on contract for six months, who had joined their offices on May 1. 

The civic body appointed the said clerks through a government agency, National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Chandigarh, in the pay scale of Rs.22,300 per month. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Real estate society takes 400 members for ride

SAS Nagar : A real estate society has been found to have violated key provisions of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995 (PAPRA) under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), putting at risk nearly Rs. 200 crore of its 400 members. 

Sky Rock City Welfare Society at Behrampura villagers in the district collected Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 85 lakh from each of its 400 members despite not having developer's licence, a mandatory requirement for carrying out such a step. As punishment GMADA has cancelled licence of the society's promoter, which means cancellation of its registration with GMADA. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Supreme Court agrees to examine validity of Information Technology rules

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today agreed to to examine the validity of Information Technology Rules making it mandatory for a website owner to screen content and exercise online censorship of the contents posted on the portal. 

A bench of justices T S Thakur and S J Mukhopadhaya issued the notice to the Centre and all the states on a PIL filed by a company Mouthshut.com(India) Pvt, which runs a portal mouthshut.com, challenging Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

UDH changes concessional allotment rules in land deals in Rajasthan

Jaipur: The urban development and housing (UDH) department is gearing up to draft new rules for land allotment in its proposed Rajasthan Municipalities (disposal of urban land) Rules, which will replace the existing Act drafted in 1974.

 

The new rules will make amendments in the procedure of land allotment to individuals and schemes. Read more

Source : daily.bhaskar.com

GVMC violates rules

Visakhapatnam: The GVMC has violated the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000, and has been dumping the city garbage at Kapuluppada for which the AP Pollution Control Board has denied permission for the landfill.

Around 800 mt of waste is being generated per day in the city which contains around 45 pc of domestic and 13 pc of commercial waste, according to officials. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

From now on, clean up or pay up in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: The next time you litter on the streets or are caught desecrating any neighborhood with your garbage, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) enforced fines can literally burn a hole in your pocket. After almost one and a half years of reviewing the fine structure, the AMC dished out it's detailed municipal solid waste management rules for the city.

Not segregating your waste at your house as wet and dry waste can invite fines of up to Rs 250 for residential areas, while its Rs 500 for commercial complexes, over which an additional administration charge of up to Rs 6,500 can be charged. So the next time you are caught throwing anything on streets of residential areas, you could be fined Rs 500 on the spot. If it's a commercial complex and anyone is caught littering outside the premises, the AMC will charge a fine of up to Rs 2,500 including the administration charges. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Cidco warns of illegal disposal of biomedical wastes

NAVI MUMBAI: The city and industrial development corporation (CIDCO), which is the civic authority for major part of Navi Mumbai, has appealed to the medical practitioners to dispose bio-medical waste according to the norms meant for waste handling and disposal.

It is has been noted by the Public Health Department of City and Industrial Development Corporation that Medical Practitioners were disposing Bio-Medical waste in the regular Municipal Solid waste bins. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Garden illegally scrapped, its FSI given to VIP societies: Activists

MUMBAI: New violations have surfaced at two Worli housing societies that are home to top politicians, with activists saying a public garden was de-reserved to increase floors without requisite permissions from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the civic body.

The Sukhada and Shubhada societies are already in the spotlight for notices sent by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to some residents, from deputy CM Ajit Pawar to BJP leader Gopinath Munde, for illegal alterations and conversion of shops into offices and gyms. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Enforce pillion rider helmet rule: Doctors

Mumbai : According to the Bombay Neuroscience Association, every year, India has been getting the rather unenviable distinction of having the highest number of cases of head injury in the world.

To bring down the number of deaths due to road accidents the active participation of the traffic police and civic body is a must, city doctors have said. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Solar Mission Phase II tariff fixed at Rs 5.45 a unit

CHENNAI : The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy proposes to fix a tariff of Rs 5.45 per kWhr for solar power projects that would be awarded under the Phase II of the National Solar Mission, according to ‘Draft Guidelines’ released by the Ministry today.

The Government intends to provide viability gap funding for 750 MW of capacity.

Those who want to put up solar power projects will now be asked for bid for ‘viability gap funding’ that would be given by the Government. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Now, India takes US to WTO over green energy

US had made similar complaint against India in February

Two months after it was taken to the World Trade Organization by the US government on the renewable energy (RE) sector, the Indian government has done likewise.

It has made a complaint to WTO’s dispute settlement body, alleging the US, both at the federal and state levels, is offering subsidy programmes in the sector for local content requirements, making the entry of Indian companies difficult and breaching global trading rules. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Biomedical waste posing a threat to human life

KOZHIKODE : Many hospitals in the state have been found to flout norms stipulated by the state in disposing off biomedical waste or utilising the services of IMAGE, the biomedical management body of the Indian Medical Association, which is entrusted with handling biomedical wastes produced in the state.

 At present, the services of IMAGE are being utilised only by 4,103 hospitals and clinics out of about 15,000 in the state. Read more

Source : newindianexpress.com

Cluster Development Policy for Mumbai region soon: Chavan

Cluster development policy for Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) region will be announced in two months, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said today. 

"A committee has been set up to frame the policy. Development Control (DC) rules will be amended for town planning for Mumbai and cluster development policy will be extended to the rest of MMR," Chavan said while replying to the opposition-sponsored resolution in the Assembly. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Building plan violation in Bhubaneswar : No action on small fries to net big fish faster

BHUBANESWAR: Already under fire for failing to regulate unauthorized constructions in the city, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has strangely decided to ignore minor violations of approved building plans in constructions measuring up to 2,500 square feet.

"We will no more register cases against people for minor deviations of the original approved plan," BDA vice-chairman Vishal Kumar Dev said here on Tuesday. "This will be applicable for constructions measuring up to 2,500 square feet," he added. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Haryana makes degree in architecture must for renewing licence

CHANDIGARH: Plot owners in Haryana may face tough time in preparing their building plans as the state government has decided not to renew licences of architects who don't possess degree in architecture.

The Haryana urban local bodies department had sent a communication to all the civic bodies on March 12, following which the municipalities have issued directions that the building plans prepared by those who don't have degree in architecture would not be approved. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Transportation of animals in goods vehicles banned in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has decided to ban the transport of animals to slaughter house in goods transport vehicles. The Urban Local Bodies department, Haryana has asked the Transport department to ensure compliance of the decision.

In a communication to Principal Secretary, Transport Department, Haryana on Tuesday, P Raghvendra Rao, the Principal Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, Haryana attributed the decision to the meeting of state level body on slaughter house and a Supreme Court judgment on special provisions for the transport of animals. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

West Bengal to amend building laws

KOLKATA: The state government will amend the existing building laws and the state plans to make officials accountable for illegal construction. The June session of the Assembly will amend the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Building Act and Rule and West Bengal Municipal Act.

On Thursday, urban development minister Firhad Hakim, panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee and mayor Sovan Chatterjee held a meeting on illegal construction in the city. The meeting was held following the building collapse in Thane. as a knee jerk reflex of the state government in response to the caving down of a highrise at Thane, so that such incidents do not happen here. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Delhi HC bars private schools from taking quarterly fee

NEW DELHI: Bringing relief to scores of parents, the Delhi high court on Wednesday barred private schools in the city from charging fee on a quarterly basis, saying they can only collect it monthly.

Justice Valmiki Mehta relied on provisions under Delhi School Education Rules, 1973 to clarify that an unaided recognized private school cannot charge fee for more than one month from the parents and the parents are entitled to deposit the same by 10th of the month when the fee is due. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Scrap dealers to get you good deals on your e-junk

New Delhi : Your local scrap dealer would soon offer you vouchers redeemable at electronics stores in exchange for your dead computer or old cellphone. He may have other interesting schemes.

This innovative idea too was born out of necessity: Electronic goods manufacturers’ fear of penal action under electronic waste management rules, which requires setting up of collection centres for electronic waste. The rules, based on the European model of mandatory take-back policy and adopted by India in 2011, has made manufacturers liable for collection of used electronic products. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Doctors in Andhra secure 'work permit' to escape rural stint

HYDERABAD: Dozens of doctors in state-run hospitals are evading rural postings through "work permits", which health department sources said was an eyewash to allow influential doctors continue with their urban jobs and lucrative private practice.

During the last one year, at least 100 government doctors in the twin cities who were given rural postings, managed to dodge a government order, and are continuing their practice in Hyderabad, based on permissions obtained from the Director Medical Education (DME), in clear violation of government and Medical Council of India norms. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

No norms, Orissa govt gave away 464 acres in capital: CAG

Bhubaneswar : A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in the Assembly on Friday has found that the state government has, between 2000 and 2012, allotted 464.479 acres of government land in Bhubaneswar in 337 cases without any policy, procedure, regulation, rules or manuals. The benefit recipients includes a former Union minister and the cardiac surgeon who had operated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January 2009.

This was revealed in the performance audit of the general administration department done by CAG. The department is the nodal agency for administering government land in the state capital. Though the government claimed land was allotted under the Government Grants Act, no rules were framed under the Act. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Available to discuss India’s concerns over Mapathon: Google

As Delhi Police investigates whether Google violated rules in holding a competition that asked users to add information about their local areas for its online mapping services, the US Internet giant on Saturday said it had responded to queries raised by Survey of India more than 10 days back and hasn’t heard from it yet.

Google Mapathon Logo

“The Survey of India contacted Google regarding the Mapathon contest on 22 March and — as requested by them — we responded to them on 25 March and offered to meet them to discuss their concerns,” Google said in a statement. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

Google should follow Indian laws, say rival mapmakers

Search giant’s mapping contest draws flak for violating policy

NEW DELHI : Google’s rival map makers including MapmyIndia and Nokia said that the Internet giant should follow Indian laws when it comes to collecting data for mapping activities

Rakesh Verma, Chairman, Managing Director and Co-Founder, MapmyIndia, told Business Line, “Google is too big and we cannot compete with them. But, there should be a level playing field and all such service providers should follow the Government’s rules.” Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Thane building collapse highlights the dangers of corruption and distorted real estate markets

The sheer scale of the Thane tragedy, which took 74 lives even as 60 more were injured, has prompted some sort of action from the authorities: the builders and six others have been arrested, including officials whose collusion may have had a role to play in the building collapse. But given that thousands of buildings in Thane are illegally and equally shoddily constructed, and perhaps an even greater number in its southern neighbour Mumbai, far more wide-ranging actions are needed to prevent the recurrence of tragedies such as this.

It now appears that pretty much every norm in the rule book was violated in putting up the eight-storey building which, according to eyewitnesses, collapsed like a house of cards. There was no approved plan, sub-standard materials were used, no occupancy certificate was obtained from the municipal authorities, the litany goes on. Most outrageously, in order to make official demolition procedures tough, many poor people appear to have been invited to take up temporary residence in the half-constructed building — which accounts for the high casualty figures when it collapsed. Obviously, such gross violation of rules wouldn't have been possible without official collusion and corruption. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

'Corruption begins after sanctioned realty plan'

New Delhi/GURGAON: The provision of "compounding construction" is the main reason behind corruption in government, the Haryana industries secretary said at a two-day seminar on "Emerging Frontiers For Spatial Planning: Development of Human Resource for Promoting Real Estate and Property Management" by NAREDCO ( National Real Estate Development Council) on Friday.

Y S Malik, financial commissioner & principal secretary, department of industries, commerce & IT, government of Haryana pushed the idea of doing away with two separate rules for sanctioning building plans as common practice. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The concrete jungle obeys no rule

The callousness with which the basic principles of putting up a building have been ignored is a pointer to the scant regard Indians seem to have for their laws. The builders’ mafia has always lived by its own rules, which means it flouts every known regulation to serve the huge demand for dwellings in urban India, now expanding like never before as waves of migrants move from the villages to towns and cities in search of livelihood.

The Thane building collapse is yet another tolling of a giant warning bell on how little we care for safety in the sardines-in-a-can experience of the mega cities. What happened in a Mumbai suburb could happen just about anywhere as the urban crush grows. At what cost this unfettered urban growth is being undertaken is a measure of the scant value we put on lives. Read more

Source : www.asianage.com

Cops to check if Google broke law during an online competition

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police said it planned to investigate whether Google violated rules during an online competition that asked users to add information about their local areas for its online map services. Additional surveyor general of India R C Padhi told TOI from Dehradun that no one can publish anything related to internal security without the defence ministry's sanction, not followed in this case. 

"We wrote a letter to Google on March 21, asking them to stop the competition. The company did not revert. We then asked our regional office at R K Puram in south Delhi to lodge a police complaint,'' said Padhi. TOI had reported on March 27 how the competition had raised security concerns among the country's security establishment. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Delhi Metro contractors not blacklisted despite complaints

NEW DELHI : They are accused of violating norms on wages, denying DMRC workers Provident Fund and insurance benefits

A file photo of a Delhi Metro Rail train passing through Vaishali Station, Ghaziabad.

Despite complaints received against three contractors employed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to supply labour for ticket-vending operations, housekeeping and security guards, none of them has been blacklisted so far, the Union Ministry of Urban Development told the Lok Sabha recently. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Formulate admission norms,unaided schools in Karnataka told

BANGALORE : Court upholds March 12 circular; says make norms public

Private unaided schools in the State will have to formulate their own transparent rules for admissions to seats other than the 25 per cent reserved for disadvantaged and poor students under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The schools should publish the rules in their school prospectus and put them up on the notice- board.

The circular issued by the Department of Public Instruction on March 12, 2013 has now become mandatory with the Karnataka High Court on Thursday upholding its validity. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

E-waste management: India’s wrong turns

In November 1988, a cargo barge carrying over 10,000 tonnes of toxic ash, Philadelphia’s gift for the Bahamas, surreptitiously offloaded its contents into the Indian Ocean. By then, the barge had been sailing around the world for 16 months, searching for a suitable dump site; the situation made more theatrical by the ship’s dramatic escape after dumping 4,000 tonnes of ash on a Haitian beach.

SCARY SIGNS at a recycling event in Hyderabad.

About 24 years and one major international treaty later, the situation hasn’t changed a lot for the 1,00,000-odd workers employed in India’s unorganised e-waste sector, who manually dismantle computers, electronics and even cathode ray tubes, exposing themselves and the groundwater to toxic carcinogens and pollutants. Places like Seelampur outside Delhi and Moore Market in Chennai have become the dumping grounds of the world. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Bio-medical waste rules flouted in NCR

NOIDA: More than 15 years after rules for management and handling of bio-medical waste were notified, the provisions are yet to be fully implemented. An inspection conducted in March by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) across the NCR regions of UP, Delhi and Rajasthan has revealed that a number of facilities dealing with bio-medical waste have been functioning without approval from the state governments.

As per the Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, notified by the Union environment ministry in 1998, facilities - including occupiers of all institutions generating, collecting, receiving, storing, transporting, treating, disposing or handling bio-medical waste - are required to obtain 'authorization' or permissions to deal with such waste from the respective regulatory body of their state government. All facilities, which provide service to more than 1,000 patients per month, are required to take authorization following proper inspections of their capacity to handle bio-medical waste. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Registration for borewell in Bangalore ends on 3rd April

Bangalore : The deadline set by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board ends on Wednesday. The Board has come out with guidelines for the process.

New borewells

* As per Section 11 of Karnataka Ground Water (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Act, 2011, those who desire to drill / dig a well / borewell for any purpose shall apply for grant of permission. Read more

Source : www.deccanherald.com

Odisha engages five private agencies for e-waste disposal

BHUBANESWAR : Odisha government said on Tuesday that it has engaged five private agencies for disposal of e-waste and created awareness on the danger of such pollution.

This was announced by Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray in the assembly while replying to a question. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

HC raps Maha for delaying land acquisition for dumping waste

Mumbai : Bombay High Court today rapped Maharashtra government for failing to come up with an action plan to identify and acquire land across the state for dumping and processing solid waste. 

A division bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A P Bhangale was hearing a bunch of petitions seeking implementation of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules and closure of dumping sites within city limits. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

DDA nod to modification in Master Plan for Delhi 2021

Delhi/NCR : In a major decision, the Delhi Development Authority today gave in principle approval for modification in the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 to offer certain relaxation to farm houses set up in the green belt and low density residential areas in the city.

Sources said as per new policy, land pockets of minimum 0.4 hectare (4,000 sqm) may be developed as residential plots. Read more

Source : content.magicbricks.com

This Holi, traffic violations will get you arrested in Delhi

New Delhi : This Holi, if you are caught violating traffic rules, you won’t get away with just a fine. The Delhi traffic police on Sunday said persons found violating these rules are liable to be arrested and their vehicles impounded.

200 checking teams will check drink driving on Holi

The Delhi Police issued an advisory for Holi celebrations announcing elaborate traffic arrangements to ensure safety of motorists on roads and check incidents of drink driving, over-speeding, dangerous driving, triple riding, driving/riding without helmet and other traffic offences. Read more

Source : expressindia.indianexpress.com

EWS seats: Pvt schools in Chandigarh defy, say no vacancies

Chandigarh : Quota Seek clarification on certain norms

H S Mamik(centre), A P Sidhu(left) and R.D.Singh at Vivek High School in Sector 38, Chandigarh on Friday

Four days after the UT Education Department said more than 400 seats under the EWS category in the entry-level classes were vacant in 48 private schools — over 336 seats in 35 private educational institutes and more than 54 in 13 minority schools — the city-based 35 unaided private schools on Friday declared that that they did not have “any vacancies” under the EWS quota, and said they won’t admit any student unless and until the department clarified a few norms regarding the implementation of the RTE Act. Read more

Source : expressindia.indianexpress.com

International level convention centres to be opened at Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur

BHOPAL: The state government has decided to set up international-level convention centres under MICE tourism. Under the scheme, over 1000 capacity major convention centres will be established on priority at Bhopal and Jabalpur and those of 500 medium capacity ones at Jabalpur and Gwalior.

As per rules, subsidy worth 25 percent or maximum Rs. 10 crore will be given to the investors on capital investment on construction of international-level convention centres of 500 or more capacity. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

New rules for schools

Innovators have shaken up Indian health care. Why can’t they do the same to education?

THE Bhandari Modern Public School can be approached only by technological downshifting. Full-sized taxis cannot penetrate the narrow, crowded streets, so you have to switch to a tuk-tuk. Soon the streets become alleyways, so you switch to a bicycle-rickshaw.

The Brahmpuri slum in New Delhi is an energetic place, home to migrants, Muslims and other marginals. A barber with a cut-throat razor and a bucket of dirty water shaves clients on the pavement. Factories hum in people’s front rooms. Animals and children are everywhere: buffaloes pulling carts, white ponies doing nothing in particular (they are popular for wedding ceremonies), children hawking bicycle pumps and washing powder. Read more

Source : www.economist.com

Cuttack crackdown on polythene users

CUTTACK: Under fire for its failure to implement the complete ban on polythene in the city, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has decided to launch a massive crackdown against violators from April 2. The raids will now be conducted in presence of police.

Though the CMC had declared a ban on polythene in 2011, use of plastic bags continues unabated in the city. The civic body, in the last two years, launched several sensitization programmes and raided traders but with little results. The authorities attributed the failure to lack of cooperation from the residents. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Green nod for Ambedkar memorial

MUMBAI: The National Coastal Zone Management Authority has agreed to a proposal for modification in the coastal regulation zone(CRZ) norms to facilitate the setting up of a Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial on Indu Mills land.

In the state legislative council on Wednesday, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said that a final approval from the union environment ministry will now be sought. The state government has proposed modification in the norms to allow transfer of development rights (TDR) from the 12.5-acre Indu Mills land to the state government for the memorial. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Garbage in Mumbai is BMC’s mess

Mumbai : As large piles of garbage dot the streets and the city’s dumping grounds overflow with a colourful mixture of its residents’ discards, waste management continues to be one of Mumbai’s most serious problems.

Segregation of garbage at source into dry and wet waste, a standard international practice, could have helped the Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC) handle the city’s refuse more efficiently — drastically reducing the amount that needs to be dumped at landfills, and promoting micro-management of waste at housing societies, schools and hospitals. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Eco-tourism suffers as norms ignored in UP

LUCKNOW: While the state is mulling to promote eco-tourism in a big way, it is the slow progress on implementation of the new National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines on tourism inside wildlife areas, which is posing as a hindrance. And that's what has kept the forest corporation from going ahead with its eco-tourism initiative. Though the officers said it will be launched very soon, this time it's the guidelines of the NTCA, on which UP is still to act upon, which have further delayed the plan.

It was only after the Supreme Court banned tourism in the core areas of the tiger reserves in September 2012 that the NTCA framed new guidelines. The guidelines said, "Since tourism has been happening in areas of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, which are designated as core and critical tiger habitat, regulated low impact tourism (visitation only) would be allowed in such areas subject to site-specific carrying capacity." However, it said "no new tourism infrastructure should be permitted in such core and critical tiger habitat". After the new guidelines were framed, states were asked to implement them and the ban was lifted. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Builders owe Rs 628 crore in premium dues, BMC recovers only Rs 8 crore

Mumbai : Even nine months after the issue of builders not paying their dues was brought to light, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has managed to recover a paltry Rs 8 crore of the total premium dues of Rs 628 crore from developers in the island city.

After modifying its fee structure, the civic body is yet to recover Rs 71 crore, while the remaining Rs 549 crore will be collected in phases, officials said. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com