The list includes temple, shopping mall, Games Village, road diversions and more Constructions pose a great threat to the city's water security, say activists "Government not adhering to moratorium on further constructions' NEW DELHI: A temple, a shopping mall, a depot, an entire Games Village and now road diversions

TALK of the 2008-09 budget as a

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Dilip Band presented draft proposal for a Rs 1073-crore budget to standing committee chairman Ajit Gavahane, laying emphasis on quality roads, 24-hour drinking water supply, completion of drainage works, health and education while there has been no increase in water or property tax. Last year's budget was at Rs 1002 crore. As much as Rs 437 crore has been reserved for roads and construction work, while installing water meters finds a provision of Rs 30 crore. "Nearly 60 per cent of the water meter installation work has been completed. By April end, the work would be completed. And after that citizens will get 24-hour water,' he said. Band said compared to the Pune Municipal Corporation that is giving 1,000 litres water for Rs 15, PCMC would be the same for Rs 2.50. "In one paisa, citizens will get 4 litres of water,' he said. "Also charges will be as per usage,' he said, adding that the closed pipeline work from Pavana dam has been taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Making a provision of Rs 10 crore for works ahead of the Commonwealth Youth Games, Band said his administration has taken up beautification and advertisement work on war footing. Rs 10 crore has been provided for purchasing buses for PMPML and an additional Rs 12 crore for setting up bus stops and providing other amenities. "We are also looking at cogeneration of power. The corporation will enter into a tie up. It definitely is on top of our agenda, but nothing is decided as yet,' he said. Band said mechanised cleaning operation has begun at PCMC. "Road sweepers, compactors and new vehicles are being purchased. These will help in keeping the town clean at a faster rate.' The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority has been urged to issue a tender for the 40-km tram and monorail project on PCMC's behalf. Regarding land acquisition, Band said, "What had not happened in last 25 years has taken place in two years. We have acquired 60 per cent of the land reserved for development.' He however said his administration will go slow on land acquisition to avoid any unrest in town. "For instance in Kalewadi, 300 houses will be displaced, if we acquire land for a playground,' he said.

Feasibility studies over the alternative project to Tunnel Road have also been taken up DUAC had suggested that the alternate corridor be constructed over the Bara Pulla drain The first phase of East-West Corridor will link Akshardham temple to New Delhi Railway Station NEW DELHI: While bitterness caused over the controversy surrounding the Tunnel Road project from National Highway 24 to Lodhi Road has led to resignation by four members of the Delhi Urban Arts Commission, the Public Works Department of Delhi Government has taken the alternative suggested by the Commission quite seriously and has begun work on the 5.5 km elevated corridor from Sarai Kale Khan to INA Colony on the Bara Pulla drain. Engineer-in-Chief of PWD R. Subramanian said, "The DUAC had suggested that the alternate corridor be constructed over the Bara Pulla drain and so we have undertaken feasibility studies for the elevated road project that would provide a fast link between Sarai Kale Khan and INA Colony.' This road project would involve construction of two three-lane carriageways. The elevated corridor would pass by Nizamuddin, Jangpura and Lodhi Colony on the way to INA Colony. Areas of concern However, there are some areas of concern here too as the Bara Pulla drain is also an aesthetic feature of Delhi and the corridor would pass close to some tombs as well. The PWD would soon also start work on the first phase of the elevated East-West Corridor that has been approved by the DUAC. Mr Subramanian said while the entire first phase is 8 km long and involved construction of an eight-lane corridor from near Akshardham temple on the banks of the Yamuna in East Delhi to New Delhi Railway Station, what has been approved thus far by DUAC is the section up to Ring Road near Bhairon Marg behind Pragati Maidan. New bridge He said as part of this corridor

Capital deserves to be a model city, says BJP A special fund of Rs.45,000 crore has been demanded in the Union Budget 2008 for the all-round development of Delhi by State BJP president Harsh Vardhan in a letter to Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on the ongoing construction of the Commonwealth Games Village that has been challenged on the grounds that it could harm the ecological system of the Yamuna riverbed. A division bench headed by Justices A.K. Sikri and Rekha Sharma reserved the order after hearing the arguments from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and environmentalists. "We are giving one week's time to all parties in the case to file their affidavits if they want to say anything else in the case,' said the bench.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday reserved judgment on a bunch of public interest litigation petitions challenging the construction of concrete structures, including the Commonwealth Games Village, on the Yamuna riverbed here. A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice A. K. Sikri and Justice Rekha Sharma reserved the judgment at the conclusion of arguments by counsel for the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the petitioners.

Thousands of people from the ten villages of the Gorai-Uttan belt blocked road and water transport to Essel World on Sunday to protest against the proposed Special Entertainment Zone (SEZ) spread over 14,183 acres in the area. Pan India Paryatan Ltd, which owns Essel World on a 65 acres plot at Gorai, has already received an in-principle approval from the Union Ministry of Commerce for phase one of the plan that will be on 1,000 acres of land.

The Delhi Development Authority has decided to withdraw the draft Yamuna River Zonal Plan dealing with 90 square kilometres of active flood plain of the river here.