Noting that an efficient transport system was ‘critical’ for orderly growth of cities, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the government has decided to support preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for Metro rail in all 19 cities with a population of over two million.

Laying the foundation for the Rs 5,181 crore Kochi Metro project here, Dr. Singh said DPRs had already been prepared for 12 cities and Metro rail projects were being implemented in seven cities, covering a total network of length 476 km at a cost of over Rs 1.15 lakh crore.

SHILLONG: Residents of Mawkyrwat, headquarters of new South West Khasi Hills district, are concerned that river Sala, the only source of potable drinking water for them, might be contaminated in the wake of fresh wave of urbanisation.

The locals want that prior care should be taken so that river pollution does not become a hazardous issue for the posterity. The alert citizens from all walks of life yesterday urged the district administration to “protect” the catchment area along the river Sala so that it did not turn into another Umkhrah river, flowing through Shillong

David Cameron yesterday reassured opponents to a third runway at Heathrow that he would honour his manifesto not to expand it before the end of the current parliament.

New Delhi Castigating municipal bodies for the high level of pollution in cities, Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai said on Wednesday the urban bodies must cleanse and update their books of accounts in order to tap the bond market as it is the practice in developed and emerging economies.

While cities have emerged as engines of growth, rapid population growth and urbanisation has posed a challenge for municipalities in preventing environmental degradation and infrastructure development.

Delhi-NCR is fast becoming an “island of heat”, as surface temperatures have risen by 2-3 degree Centigrade in the past three decades, says a new study.

Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has ruled out any significant changes in the land acquisition bill. “There will be no significant changes to the bill.

Experts Demand Environment-Friendly Building Norms For New Urban Areas