The Planning Commission’s Appraisal Has Stressed On Consistent Implementation Of Reforms And Holistic Urban Renewal

Pune: Urban planners and activists have criticized the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for their inapt handling of works done under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM). The PMC has spent crores of rupees meant for renewal of infrastructure to cover up the backlog in the provision of basic urban services, they said.

Pune: The state government is likely to make it mandatory for all municipal corporations to treat and use sewage water for non-drinking purposes.

“A meeting of municipal officials across the state was called to discuss possible use of recycled sewage water. After deliberations, the government will take steps towards implementation of the plan,” said a state official. He added that the state government has decided to adhere to the Union government’s recent directives.

The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) has deferred its recommendation for environmental clearance to the first phase of the SmartCity Kochi project based on the inference that “the proposal submitted by the proponent had many factual errors and lacked a specific plan of environmental management”.

Stating that the SEAC had expressed its displeasure in drafting the ambitious project of the State government in such a very casual manner, sources told The Hindu that the promoter has failed to seriously consider many of the environmental factors while drafting the proposal.

Officials told to expedite works to finish projects in time

A three-member team from the World Bank inspected various works being carried out under the Underground Drainage (UGD) project, Mettur – Salem Dedicated Water Supply Scheme and Thirumanimutharu River project in the city on Tuesday.

The team members Raghu Kesavan, senior infrastructure specialist, Mohan, senior infrastructure engineer, and Reddy, environment consultant, visited Nagaramalai Adivaram where work was on to lay pipelines under Pack II of Mettur – Salem Dedicated Water Supply Scheme. The scheme was implemented at a total cost of Rs. 315.54 crore of which the World Bank was funding Rs. 285.54 crore and the Corporation Rs. 35 crore.

Kochi has unique problems in setting up a sewage system

A permanent solution to the problem of treating and disposing sewage eludes Kochi. The civic administration and planners are exploring various methods to set up a sewage disposal system that can address the city’s present and future needs.

NEW DELHI: Time was when the Yamuna was a revered river and people from far and near gathered to take a dip in its waters, in Delhi, on every celestial event and festival. The French traveller, Francois Bernier, who witnessed a solar eclipse here in 1666, notes: "I took my station on the terrace of my house, situated on the banks of the Gemna, when I saw both shores of the river, for nearly a league (5.6 km) in length, covered with gentiles or idolaters, who stood in the water up to the waist".

MARGAO: The garbage menace facing Navelim village threatens to spill over to neighbouring Margao.

An agitated Navelim MLA and Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado on Thursday threatened to stop Margao sewage from flowing into the Sewerage treatment plant located at Sirvodem-Navelim if the Margao Civic body refuses to accept waste from Navelim. With the waste problem turning from bad to worse in his constituency, Avertano telephonically spoke to Margao Municipal Chairperson Arthur D’Silva to accept Navelim waste at the Sonsodo waste dumping site. He argued that Navelim villagers have suffered over the years on account of the location of the sewage treatment plant located at Sirvodem-Navelim and wondered why Margao cannot accept waste generated in the village.

Covered in rashes all over his body, Narayanappa resembles a man recovering from burns. He developed the rashes following de-weeding work at Dorekere lake in ttarahalli.

This despite having applied mixture of pongamia and neem oil to protect himself from leeches infesting the highly contaminated lake. “The oil mixture lasts only for an hour but burns my skin. Once the oil layer is gone, leeches cling to my skin and suck my blood,” says Narayanappa. One among a dozen labourers from Mandya assigned the task to de-weed the lake, Narayanappa has been into de-weeding water bodies for many years. It takes a month to clean a water body.