Chandigarh is among 25 states/UTs that failed to submit the action plan and may have to pay environmental compensation of Rs 1 crore. In a bid to make Chandigarh completely plastic-free, the Department
Shimla: Unchecked over-the-counter sale of globally banned veterinary drug diclofenac in Himachal Pradesh has put a question mark on the government's effort in phasing out the drug that has been pro
Chandigarh: A Complete and revised survey on the proposed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway has revealed that nearly 35,000 vehicles would pass over this 135-km stretch after it would be laid completel
Sas Nagar: The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) recently tested its sewage treatment plant. But there is neither an approach road to the plant, nor any arrangement to transport the sewage water to the main treatment plant. According to sources in GMADA, the work for the approach road has not started yet because of a legal tussle between Authority and farmers, who own the land over which the road will be constructed. The pipes, which will bring sewage water to the treatment plant, could not be laid as a railway crossing falls in the way and the pipes would have to be laid beneath the rail tracks, for which the GMADA has not yet received the permission. However, according to a GMADA official, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued directions to Railway authorities to fix the pipes beneath the track soon. While the treatment plant is yet to start functioning, sewage water, stink and filth have become breeding grounds of mosquitoes, posing serious health problems for Mohali residents. Jaspal Singh, a resident of Phase-IX, said that due to the foul smell emanating from the nullah passing through the phase, residents have been suffering for the past many years. Singh said the nullah was a seasonal drain but with the passage of time, the garbage and sewage water from Chandigarh and Mohali started flowing into it and now it has become impossible to livge near it. "I want to sell my house but there are no buyers and in case some people turn up, they offer very cheap price as compared to houses in other sectors or phases in Mohali,' he said. Singh said that there were hundreds of other residents in the area, whose health has been ruined due to the poor health condition around the nullah. "The authorities in the past have submitted many affidavits in the High Court promising to start the sewage treatment plant on a stipulated date, but before the date arrives, they seek further extension,' he added. When contacted on the issue, GMADA Chief Administrator Vijay Pratap Singh said the GMADA is already working on both the issues. "Chandigarh MC and GMADA have taken up a joint survey to plug the points from where the sewage is being thrown into the drain. Gradually, we will also be able to solve the problem of the stink emanating from the nullah' he added
The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority has started the testing of a 10 million gallon per day capacity sewage treatment plant constructed in the proposed Sector 83 of SAS Nagar. This is the first sewage treatment plant developed in SAS Nagar that will cater to the residential as well as industrial sectors up to Sector 82 in SAS Nagar. The capacity of the plant will subsequently be extended to 15 million gallon per day, as and when the need arises. The plant is constructed in approximately 23 acres. The construction work of the plant was allotted to M/s Enviro Control Associates (India) Private Ltd, Surat, on 15-2-2006, with an estimated cost of Rs 20.30 crore. The cost includes construction of the plant as well as its operation and maintenance for a period of five year after the date of completion.
UT Home and Health Secretary Krishna Mohan said that to ensure the implementation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Chandigarh, resources are being pooled to provide quality services to tuberculosis patients. Mohan said the Executive Committee on Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP has become functional. He said that Chandigarh is consistently ranked among the top performing states of the country in the management of the disease. He said that Medical Colleges and other sectors like ESI, CGHS, NGO's and private practitioners have been involved under the RNTCP. He added that services for diagnosing, treatment and referring non-residents to the centres. Mohan also lauded the performance of State Health Society-RNTCP and Chandigarh administration for combating the disease and introducing quality diagnosis and treatment. He said that the Rural Development and Social Welfare departments have been involved for organising medical check-up camps and health melas to create awareness about the symptoms of TB in the slum areas. He added that health education is also being imparted in schools through debates, declamation and painting competitions for information on the symptoms of tuberculosis. Mohan said that nearly 2000 lives were saved since the launch of RNTCP in 2002. More than 12,000 patients have also been treated. Mohan said that there are nearly 116 DOT Centers established for treating TB cases.
Shimla may be getting ready to get an additional drinking water supply of 20 million litres (MLD) everyday when the Rs 65-crore Giri water supply scheme is commissioned in the next few weeks, but that's not enough to quench the thirst of this tourist town for the next 30 years. The focus has thus shifted to the Rs 750-crore Pabbar gravity water supply scheme
The Haryana government has decided to constitute a committee comprising transport, urban development departments and Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Secretary for the purpose of formulating a traffic management plan for Gurgaon and other towns of the state.
Chandigarh, February 18 With an aim to plant over a million trees in the city this year, UT Administrator Gen S F Rodrigues (retd) today launched a plantation drive at Saketri village. He also released Green Chandigarh Action Plan ' 2008. Stating that Chandigarh has a green cover of 35.6 per cent, Rodrigues stressed on the need to make the city greener by planting maximum number of trees possible. The Green Action Plan released by the Administrator stated that during the year 2007-08, 14,9723 saplings were planted against the target of 10,9170 in the Union Territory.
Zira (Ferozepur), February 17 In what could show light at the end of the tunnel to power-starved Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), which spends more than about Rs 2 crore daily to bridge the demand and supply gap of electricity in the state, a village in Ferozepur district is fast on its way to become the first village of the state, and perhaps of the country, to earn the distinction of a power theft-free village. Notably, besides the unavoidable transmission and distribution losses, power thefts give a tough time to PSEB in terms of losses.
HARYANA Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda reviewed the progress of the construction work of the 2x600 MW Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant being set up at Khedar in Hisar. A spokesman of the power department said that the ongoing civil and mechanical works of the mega project were on in full swing. As much as 98 per cent of the piling works had been completed and the work of boiler erection had commenced on December 4 last year. The base raft foundations of the Cooling Towers and Chimney had also been cast. The two units would start generating power by November 2009 and February 2010. On completion of the project, as many as 288 lakh units of electricity per day would be available for the people of Haryana. The spokesman said that the progress of 2x300 MW Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Project, Yamuna Nagar was also reviewed. It was informed that after synchronization in November 2007, Unit-1 had generated 728 lakh units which had been pumped into the grid. This unit would start com- h; mercial operation in March,2008. The Unit will be synchronized on oil in March, 5l 2008, he informed. Haryana Power Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala was also present on the occasion.
