Farmhouses coming up in dried-up choes
Hundreds of ecologically-fragile seasonal rivulets (choes) criss-crossing the Shivalik foothills in Punjab are slowly vanishing. Land-hungry people are either buying the rights of riverbeds from poor villagers, or illegally occupying the same to build farmhouses for themselves. This unusual phenomena of using the river beds to build farmhouses is a …
HC takes Centre to task on constructions in LBZ
The Delhi High Court took a strong note of the Centre's failure to initiate any action against unauthorised construction in the Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ). "In terms of our last order, no action has been taken with regard to unauthorised constructions,' said the bench headed by acting Chief Justice Vijender …
In Bihar drought-hit villages, Naxals filling in for govt, with handpumps
As officials hold meetings to counter the Naxals, here, in the drought-hit regions of Gaya district, Bihar, the Left wing extremists have opened another front. With the entire district, including Gaya town, facing a severe water crisis, the banned CPI (Maoist) has stepped in with money to help villagers repair …
Sealing drive: SC to take up Centres plea on April 28
The Supreme Court fixed April 28 as the date for hearing the Centre's plea seeking six months time to enable local bodies to conduct a "ground level survey' to identify roads and streets where mixed land use could be permitted. Solicitor General G E Vahanvati mentioned the issue before a …
Urban renewal scheme: Rs 50,000 cr to be raised
The Union Urban Development Minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, said Rs 50,000 crore will be raised under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to be spent over the next six years. Mr Reddy said the proposals for storm water drainage, middle
Slum dwellers to get plots
Slum dwellers of Noida, Uttar Pradesh are a very happy lot today because the Noida Authority has decided to start the allotment of plots to registered slum dwellers from April 17, which is the Foundation Day of New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida). Eleven slum dwellers will be handed over …
Muddying the waters, Soz passes the Narmada dam buck to PM
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said no decision had been taken to suspend construction work at the Sardar Sarovar project site on the Narmada after Gujarat's Congress and BJP MPs and MLAs, sinking their differences, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him not to stop work. Gujarat Chief Minister …
Safe water scheme for gas-hit areas of Bhopal
A special Rs. 17-crore scheme has been chalked out under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission for supplying safe drinking water to 13 localities of Bhopal, madhya Pradesh affected by the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster. This was disclosed by the Madhya Pradesh Minister for Gas Relief, Babulal Gaur, at …
Yamuna water share: A fresh hope for Rajasthan
A committee of Irrigation Secretaries of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh will look into the supply of Yamuna river waters from Tajewala headwork in Haryana to Rajasthan during the monsoon season. The panel will submit its report in the next meeting of the Upper Yamuna Review Committee. Union Minister …
Ambika Soni inaugurates Chamba Millennium
The Centre is contemplating introducing helicopter taxi service to connect hill resorts of Himachal to promote tourism in a big way. Ms Ambika Soni, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, stated this while inaugurating a weeklong festival
Source of Kali Bein drying up
The depleting ground water level has dried up the original source of the historically significant Kali Bein river. The river used to originate from the bauli (a place where water naturally erupts from the ground) in Dhanoa village falling in Mukerian subdivision of Hoshiarpur district, Punjab. The residents of this …
Ministry: Open Northeast for tourism
Tourism ministry is urging the home ministry to clear the proposal to implement visa on arrival for at least 16 countries on a trial basis, to boost tourism in India. The ministry is also urging the home ministry to open up the Northeast region for tourism, doing away with the …
Demolish fish tanks around
The Supreme Court has directed the Andhra Pradesh government to start from April 20 the demolition of all fish tanks from Kolleru Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Asia. The exercise should be carried on in a time-bound manner and completed before the onset of monsoon, the top court ordered …
Urban renewal mission on fast track; 23 projects cleared
Within four months of its inception, the country's most prestigious urban development project, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) project is on the fast lane. As many as 23 projects across eight cities have already been approved till March 31, 2006. According to urban development ministry sources, in …
Sealings: SC turns down lawyers plea
The Supreme Court refused to grant any relief to lawyers operating their offices in residential areas of the Capital. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice C K Thakker and Justice D K Jain took objection to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) approaching it in the …
CII hails mixed land use clause
The Confederation of Indian Industry hailed the notification issued by the urban development ministry on mixed land use in the residential areas. It hoped that the affidavit submitted in the court will be considered by the judiciary. This, they think, will meet the growing requirement of commercial space for the …
Water woes to ease: Soz
Allaying fears of yet another parched summer in Delhi, the water resources minister, Mr Saifuddin Soz, on Wednesday assured that the capital's water position would "ease', but refused to give a time-frame. Delhi is likely to face a shortfall of 170 million gallons of water per day (MGD) this summer …
Cauvery: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu farmers close to reaching accord
Independent efforts of farmers of the Cauvery basin in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to find a solution to the problem of water-sharing between the riparian States seem to have had positive impact. After six rounds of talks, efforts are now on to draft a distress formula. Farmers' leaders, who have …
Centre moves SC over shop-sealing drive
Apparently feeling the heat of widespread opposition from the trading community on the issue of sealing of commercial ventures in the residential areas of the Capital as ordered by the Supreme Court, the Union Government moved an application before it seeking six months' time to identify the localities where a …
Global agency to prepare master plan for Shimla
The state government will seek the help of an international agency to prepare the master plan for the development of Shimla for the next 25 years, while conserving its heritage and British legacy. With the "Queen of Hills' virtually being turned into a concrete jungle, the government will engage an …
