AHMEDABAD: On demand bus schedules on SMS, bus ticket top-ups over internet, GPS-based surveillance, and an efficient e-ticketing system. No, it's not a wish list. Rather, it's a list of promises made to Amdavadis three years back, on the launch of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).

The citizens were assured that they could look forward to a hi-tech passenger travel experience, never before witnessed in India. Today, however, the BRTS sorely misses a key component - information technology, which was supposed to be the backbone of the organization. Without IT, there is not much hope for BRTS to meet the standards it had set for itself.

In a bid to reduce production cost which has gone up due to the rise in gas prices, Morbi-based ceramic manufacturers have now started switching over to coal gas fired furnace from the existing gas-based furnaces.

This move by many of the industry players comes after the increase in gas prices by the natural gas provider in the region Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) last November. The price of gas to the industry which falls under the commercial segment is ruling at Rs 37.40 per standard cubic meter (SCM)

Vapi: Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has issued a show cause notice to Vapi Waste and Effluent Management Co. Pvt.

To Cut Emissions In Udaipur, Rajkot & Vizag

Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) are going to make Udaipur, Rajkot and Visakhapatnam low carbon cities. The institutes will work together on improving the mobility in these cities while lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As lead agencies of this project, the institutes will help civic authorities set up greener transport system infrastructure, which will help bring down carbon emissions in the cities.

Surat: Pristine beaches of Umargam and Nargol are raising a stink once again. Oil slick, which coagulated as black balls, has once again hit the coast, leaving fisher folk jittery.

The beaches affected in the past four days include Nargol, Tadgam, Maroli, Saronda, Umargam and Daman. “The slick has kept us away from the beach. This will be equally hazardous for us and the marine life,” said Jitu Tandel, a fisherman of Nargol village. The presence of oil particles has also pushed fish into deep waters. “Now we will have to go into deep sea to find fish, which is possible only for fishermen who have bigger vessels,” he said.

Six Months After Govt Nod, PSU Looks At Financial Viability

Gandhinagar: Just six months after the Gujarat government reluctantly decided to give a go ahead to Egyptian operations of the PSU, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) has called for a complete review of whether it is worth continuing. Well-placed Sachivalaya sources informed TOI on Monday that a high-level team, led by a senior financial expert working with the Gujarat government, Manish Verma, and a few technocrats, has been rushed to Egypt to make a spot assessment.

Ahmedabad: Pollution control vessel, a dedicated oil spill recovery vessel, second of its class in Asia-Pacific region, will be commissioned by Indian Coast Guard in Surat on July 20. The 94-metre-long vessel with displacement of 3,300 tonnes is a highly specialized ship fitted with top-of-shelf technologically advance pollution response equipment and is capable of recovering and neutralizing different kinds of oil spills in the sea.

The vessel boasts of an integrated platform management system, a perfect example of human machine interface. It interfaces the main machinery, sensors and equipment onboard the ship, which can be operated and monitored from a remote location. Automation is the keyword for this system.

Forty-seven students of a government primary school at Brahmanvasi village in Gujarat were allegedly beaten up by their teacher for raising their voice against the delay in getting mid-day meals, the police said on Sunday.

The incident came to light on Saturday after Jayantibhai Somabhai, the guardian of one student, lodged a complaint against teacher Bela Patel. Ms. Patel has been removed following a hue and cry over the incident. District Development Officer Rakesh Shankar asked the District Education Officer to submit a report on the incident.

AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was felicitated by the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize during the World Cities Summit 2012 on 2nd July in Singapore for its early success in implementing a city development plan which aims to transform India's seventh largest city into a more liveable, equitable and sustainable metropolis with a dynamic multi-sector economy and an emerging auto-hub.

The award was given to Ahmedabad's Mayor Shri Hasit Vora and municipal commissioner Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra. It was awarded by Dr. Cheong Koon Hean, CEO, Housing & Development Board of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew, a World City Prize nominating committee member.

Gandhinagar:In an oblique attempt to keep its vegetarian banner high, the Gujarat government is meandering into a so far unexplored area to fight higher malnutrition levels.

Well-placed Sachivalaya sources said the government is working out a complete plan of seaweed cultivation. Small farmers living next to the sea shore can venture into this cultivation in a big way, not just to earn highvalue-added incomes the produce can give, but also to improve nutrition. A top state official said the move comes close on the heels of a meeting chief minister Narendra Modi took some time back,